The Engaging Driver
by inwhatuniverse
Summary: Now that Sheldon can drive, the streets of Pasadena better watch out!
1. Chapter 1: The New Car

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Author's Note: _I decided to continue from where I left off of my one-shot "The Turkey Drive" and provide a bit more story. I felt that there was still areas that needed to be explored and felt like it was important to have some "fun" with the engagement announcement and time of their lives. Now that Sheldon can drive, the streets of Pasadena better watch out!_

Sheldon and Amy pulled up to her parking space after coming home from a long Thanksgiving Day with her family. After Sheldon put the car in park and opened his door to check if he was perfectly centered within the two lines, satisfied, he turned off the ignition. Both he and Amy exited the car, locking it for the night and walked over to her building and entered.

"Amy, would it be presumptuous of me if I were to ask if I could stay at your place tonight?" Sheldon whispered as they stood outside her front door as she was fiddling with the lock.

Turning around with wide eyes in surprise, "I would like that Sheldon, are you sure you don't mind?" Amy responded.

"No, actually, I am rather exhausted after having to be on trial with your family and would like us to just enjoy the next couple of hours before my usual time to sleep just relaxing and being with each other" Sheldon replied.

Entering the apartment, flipping on the lights, Amy tossed her purse to the chair next to the door and turned to Sheldon, while removing her coat, "I can think of nothing better than spending a quiet evening at home with you, Sheldon. Nothing would please me more," Amy grinned.

Hanging up her coat, she then moved over to the kitchen to put on a pot of hot water to make them some hot cocoa since it was a month ending with an "r". Sheldon flipped on the remote and starting viewing the online TV guide to figure out what to put on. "Amy, there is a documentary on some new advancements on extra-solar planet discoveries, would you like to watch that?" Sheldon inquired with enthusiasm.

"Sure, that sounds like it would be fascinating, but let me change out of this dress and into something more comfortable first. I think I still have that emergency kit you left here in my closet that includes pajamas if you want to change and get more comfortable, "Amy suggested.

"Why, yes, you are right. I nearly forgot about that. Thank you for reminding me. Do you mind if I enter your room and remove the bag so I can change in the bathroom" Sheldon inquired.

"No, come on, follow me" Amy replied. Sheldon followed Amy into her bedroom, which he had only seen once before. She didn't even know he had been in there because she was passed out cold on the bathroom floor at the time from their girl's night out experience. But he had to make sure she was dressed in something more appropriate if she was going to spend the night on the bathroom floor. Thank goodness she didn't realize what he had done that night and for some reason it never crossed her mind that she still had on the clothes she wore to the bar when she came home, but had on different clothes when she woke in the morning. Sheldon shivered thinking about her learning he had helped her into other clothing without her knowledge. He hoped to go to the grave without her ever knowing.

Sheldon briefly scanned the room, taking note how much like him Amy was. Her room was tidy, organized and full of science and her own quirky personality. He quickly moved to her closet and removed his emergency kit. "I'll meet you out on the couch" Sheldon nodded as he swiftly exited the room and headed into the bathroom.

Amy changed in to her blue/green and white PJs and matching robe, removed her makeup and took down her hair that had been up in a dressy, yet messy, bun. Leaving her room, she moved to the kitchen, turned on her oven and pulled out a baking tray. Removing a package of U-bake-'em snicker-doodles, she waited for the pre-heat cycle to complete on her oven and placed the cookies in the oven and set the timer. She then removed the tea kettle and poured the hot liquid into mugs which already had cocoa mix in them. She adorned the cups with marshmallows, and set the mugs on a tray. She pulled out a plate to put the baked cookies on when they would be ready. Ding, they were ready and she put them out on the tray and brought the entire works over to the coffee table. In perfect timing, Sheldon emerged from the bathroom, wearing matching colored pajamas, by coincidence.

"You must have cookie radar" Amy teased. As Sheldon passed by her, she quickly grabbed his arm and stood on her toes, kissing him lightly on the cheek.

"Of course I like my sugar" Sheldon said, winking at her, "oh and the cookies and cocoa are great too" he continued, laughing at his own joke. Amy just shook her head, actually rather amazed he even suggested that her kiss was "sugar".

They sat down and enjoyed cookies and cocoa, and began to watch the documentary. Sheldon put his arm up on the couch back and began to pull Amy toward him. "I believe cuddling is appropriate tonight" he continued. Amy immediately inched over and was eager to oblige.

Once the documentary ended, Amy and Sheldon both got up to go clean up the dishes. "Amy, have you thought about how we are going to tell everyone about our engagement?" Sheldon pondered.

"Well, all of our friends will be over at your place tomorrow night for our usual weekly get together, so how about if we tell them then. What about your family? When do you want to tell them?" Amy replied.

"Tomorrow is good for our friends, but I think we should call my mother in the morning and tell her then. How about if we Sype her? I know she will tell everyone else, although I would love to tell Mee-maw in person.

"On second thought, how about if we tell our friends tomorrow, but then take Friday off and fly to Texas and tell your family. That way I can meet Mee-Maw, Missy and George, Jr. and you can tell everyone there" Amy suggested.

"That is an excellent idea. You have such great ideas, Amy. I will make the reservations tomorrow, but can we leave Thursday night instead? Would you be able to leave a little early on Thursday so we can fly out then, instead?" Sheldon hoped.

"Yes, I think if I go in earlier that day, I should be able to leave around 1. I will make up the hours a little on the other three days as well."

Excited about the trip, both began to share what they hoped they could accomplish while in Texas. Sheldon would make all of the arrangements and would notify his mother that they would be coming for a quick visit, but not reveal more than that. Amy would put in extra hours so they could leave on Thursday.

"Well, we had better get to bed because tomorrow we need to plan how to surprise our friends with the good news" Amy suggested. She started to walk to the hall closet to pull out an extra pillow and blanket when Sheldon followed her and sheepishly said "Amy, do you mind if I sleep with you in your bed tonight? The couch is really uncomfortable."

Wide-eyed and beaming, Amy asked "And when you say sleep, you mean "_sleep_" or "_sleep_"?" changing her intonation to imply one meant actual sleep with the other meant a possibility of some fooling around.

Turning bright red, Sheldon didn't really reply at first, but finally said "well I guess a little kissing might be considered, but we do need to get to sleep soon as we have a lot to do tomorrow."

"Race you to the bed" Amy said and darted off, Sheldon on her heels. "No fair you got a head start" Sheldon teasingly pouted as she reached the bed and climbed in first.

After about another hour of making out and slight "fooling around", the couple finally fell asleep, Amy in Sheldon's arms.

The next morning, the sun shone through the blinds in Amy's bedroom, making an interesting pattern on her cheeks. Sheldon was the first to awaken. Opening his eyes and rubbing sleep from them with his free arm, he suddenly realized he was not in his room. Looking around and feeling a weight on his other arm, he looked over and then remembered he had slept with Amy for the first time that night, well went to sleep with her, not slept with her. He made sure he reminded himself that he still showed her respect. His mother would not have it any other way.

Sheldon turned and raised his head slightly at Amy. She was facing him now, on her side, still asleep. Her hair was cascading out on the majority of her pillow, as she was on the edge of it next to him. Her lips were rosy and her eyelashes were long and slightly curled. Funny, he had never noticed her lashes much before but decided they were perfect. They were long and dramatic, but not annoyingly false in appearance. They were full and a pretty shade of dark brown, much like her hair. He noticed that her cheek had a small sparkle on it that he brushed slightly, feeling the smooth texture of her skin. He then recalled the night before they fell asleep and began to blush.

Amy stirred and woke up, immediately stretching her arm out and accidentally touching Sheldon's hip when she did. It started her because she was still in that state between sleep and awake that she wasn't recalling details of the previous evening. She bolted up and then realized it was Sheldon. "Oh, sorry, I mean I didn't mean to…"she stuttered, blushing.

"It's okay, I know you were just waking up and didn't know what you were doing" Sheldon replied, but still pink was evident in his cheeks.

Amy began to recall the night before and teased "Well you finally found second base. Was it favorable?"

Blushing more, Sheldon replied "Um…yes, it was very pleasurable indeed. I might want to visit that base more often" he whispered.

"Of course, but you have to pay the toll for the visit" Amy teased.

"And what is the toll price?" Sheldon perplexed.

"More cuddling and kissing" Amy replied.

"Oh, I think I can afford that" Sheldon smiled down at her and kissed the tip of her nose. "But first, we have to get breakfast, showered, dressed and out of here to start planning to tell our friends our news" Sheldon tossed back the covers, jumping out of bed.

"I think you are very excited about this, like you are Santa bringing toys to kids" Amy teased.

"What, aren't you excited to tell everyone?" Sheldon truly shocked that Amy would not be as excited as he was.

"Yes, of course, but I am even more excited to think about spending a few extra minutes in bed with you" Amy winked.

Sheldon leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips and replied "You are going to have a lifetime of me in bed with you so no need to hog all the moments in one morning. Let's get breakfast."

Sheldon had already found his way to the kitchen and began opening cupboard doors and the refrigerator. "Typical male…always thinking with their stomachs" Amy muttered as she crawled out of bed. "I heard that, Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper. Don't forget I have Vulcan hearing" Sheldon yelled from the kitchen. Amy smiled, her mind still stuck on the Amy Farrah _Fowler-Cooper_ he called her. He called her by _his_ name, her soon-to-be _married _name. She was literally leaping around the room, opening drawers and her closet, looking for what would be appropriate engagement announcement clothing for their friends. She quickly danced over to the doorway and poked her head around the corner toward the kitchen and said "I like the sound of that, Dr. Cooper".

Sheldon, preoccupied with the task of making breakfast, turned around and said "Huh? Like the sound of what?" unaware of what he had said earlier.

"You called me Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper" Amy replied. "I like the sound of that" she continued, grinning widely.

Sheldon smiled his crooked smile just for her and then winked and said, "You better like the sound of it, it will be your name the rest of your life."

After Sheldon and Amy cleaned up the dishes from breakfast and were dressed, they gathered up the clothing Sheldon had worn before and his PJs and took them with them as they left for his apartment. In the parking lot, "Do you want to drive or do you want me to drive?" Amy asked.

"I think you should drive for now. One of our many stops today is to take me to finalize my driver's license. My permit still is good, but I want to make it official now that I can drive" Sheldon replied.

"Sounds good to me; what else is on our "_to do"_ list for today?" Amy inquired as they climbed into the car and she made adjustments to the seat and mirrors. Turning on the car, Sheldon began to list off a number of things he wanted to accomplish that day.

Completing one of the more important tasks first, getting Sheldon's driver's license, they finally were able to leave with a newly licensed Sheldon to head to their next set of tasks. Sheldon had decided that he was going to buy himself his own engagement present, a new car. Amy said only if she could at least pay the down payment on it for him because it was supposed to be an "engagement gift". He finally relented and so they began to head to the car dealership. Amy knew this was going to be a huge challenge since Sheldon had no idea what kind of car he wanted to buy.

Several hours of going from dealership to dealership, Sheldon finally decided on a new, silver, Ford Escape hybrid SUV. He liked it because it reminded him of the many trucks in Texas, yet was much more practical in gas mileage. It was small enough to maneuver well, yet large enough to feel you had some metal around you and were not prone to die in an automobile crash. He also liked that it had plenty of room for hauling scientific equipment around and all of his paintball gear. He felt it was a very sensible vehicle. Amy also approved of his decision. She found it very sensible as well. Of course, it took at least another hour to get all the paperwork completed and for them to finally leave with the keys to his new SUV.

"Good Lord, Amy, it is nearly 4:00 PM and we still have all of the arrangements for tonight's celebration announcement to complete" Sheldon exclaimed as they waited for the dealership to drive his new SUV up from being serviced. "How are we ever going to get it all done in time" Sheldon fretted.

"No problem, Sheldon. We now have two cars. I will stop and get some of the things while you get the others. Now let's divide the list and meet back at your place. I have the spare key you gave me so I can let myself in if I finish before you" Amy suggested.

"Well, I guess, but I don't want to drive too much, especially with my new SUV. I am still a bit timid going too far. So I want to do the chores closest to my apartment" Sheldon negotiated.

"Fine, give me all of the others on the list" Amy nodded in agreement. Splitting the list they were on their way.

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Amy arrived at Sheldon's apartment and knocked on the door after lugging four very heaving bags up four flights of stairs. She was exhausted by the time she lifted her arm up to knock. She waited and no one answered. She tried again, still not getting a response. So she rummaged through her purse and let herself in with the spare key she had been given by Sheldon a few months back. She began to feel a bit uneasy that he had not beat her back to the apartment since she had the further errands to run and far more on her list. Tugging in the four bags she had brought up the stairs she placed them on the kitchen island. She then ran back downstairs to pull out two more bags and then came back up and began to unpack all of the contents.

After she finally had put everything away and began to pull together plates, etc. for the night, she finally started to worry that she hadn't heard from Sheldon. She decided to text him. Pulling out her phone, she sent the text "Are you okay? I am at your apartment." Drumming her fingers she waited when suddenly she heard clinking of keys on the door lock. The keys fell and she heard a "Drat" and ran to open the door.

"Here let me help you" Amy said, taking a couple of bags from Sheldon, who had hauled up four bags himself. He bent down to pick up his keys "Thank you. Was that you that text'd me?" he asked while entering and placing his two bags on the couch.

"Yes, I was worried when I made it back here before you."

"Oh, well I was being careful and taking my time because I didn't want to get in an accident. I also got lost in one place because I turned the wrong way out of the parking lot and then could not figure out how to get back to streets I was familiar with because of all the one-way streets I encountered. I hate one-way streets, by the way" Sheldon replied, unpacking the contents of his bags. "Did you know that Pasadena is full of horrible drivers? Amy, I had so many people honking their horns at me that it made me have to pull over and just relax before I had a panic attack. So many people gave me obscene gestures. Just because I go slightly under the speed limit does not mean they have to be so rude" Sheldon continued.

Amy snickered at his comments, because she knew that Sheldon was still new to driving and probably did annoy many drivers. She would let him enjoy his new-found skill and hopefully one day he would learn how to _go with the flow_. In the meantime, she just helped Sheldon put together everything for their upcoming guests.


	2. Chapter 2: Two Shocking Announcements

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

It was nearing 6:30 PM when Leonard would soon be home. Sheldon and Amy were putting the final touches on decorating the apartment and setting the ambiance for the evening. Champagne was chilling and Amy was double checking everything on the list that Sheldon had prepared. Sheldon was admiring their work. "We make a great team, Dr. Fowler-Cooper" Sheldon beamed.

"I think so" Amy said, coming over to give Sheldon a hug. Their hug was interrupted as they heard the door handle begin to move. "This is it" Amy said to Sheldon, excitement building.

"Whoa, what's going on? Wow, this place looks great" Leonard exclaimed. "What's the occasion?"

"We felt like celebrating" Amy teased, winking.

"Celebrating? Huh…What? What are we celebrating? Leonard asked confused.

"All will be revealed soon enough" Sheldon replied.

The three turned their heads toward the front door when they heard it open. In walked Howard, Bernadette, Raj and Stuart. Penny trailed behind and leaped in quickly before the door closed.

"The place looks great" Bernadette exclaimed, her eyes traveling around the room. "What's up?"

"Once everyone is settled, we will explain. In the meantime, Amy can you begin to pour everyone a beverage?" Sheldon turned to Amy and gestured.

"Sure, did you also want one?" Amy asked Sheldon with a knowing look?

"Yes, I think it is perfectly acceptable in this case" he replied.

Amy poured champagne into flutes for everyone and Sheldon passed them to everyone. Holding up his glass once everyone had one in their hand, "I would like to introduce everyone to the future Dr. Fowler-Cooper" Sheldon announced. Everyone turned their heads toward the door, expecting a new arrival at first and then it sank in.

"What? Sheldon are you telling us that you and Amy are engaged? Penny and Bernadette wide-eyed, asked simultaneously, the first to catch on.

Amy came up next to Sheldon with her champagne flute in one hand and held out her other hand, nodding her head excitedly. Penny and Bernadette flew over to where she was standing to get a good look at the rock on her finger. "Oh my gosh, I can't believe it? When? How?" Penny started with the questions. "I can't believe you are marrying Sheldon Cooper" Bernadette said with her jaw-open.

Howard and Leonard were stunned. They looked at Sheldon, Howard asking "Is this some kind of joke? I mean do you understand what this means?"

"Of course I understand what marriage means" Sheldon lashed back, offended that they thought he was so stupid as to not know what being married meant.

"Dude, it means you are going to have sex with Amy?" Raj finally piped up, wiping tears from his eyes.

Blushing and his ears turning red, Sheldon nodded, but would not look any of them in the eye.

"I call an emergency girls night" Penny said, grabbing on to Amy's arm and yanking her toward her apartment, Bernadette on their heels nodding in agreement. Amy turned her had back at Sheldon, shrugging and saying "OK for a little bit, but then we come back and join the boys" Amy held her ground until she got agreement. Sheldon nodded, knowing there would be no peace otherwise.

"Okay, okay, but…my apartment…now" Penny demanded.

The girls left, and that meant Sheldon was going to have to fend off the guys, who were already wanting to know if he even knew what sex was and how to engage in it. Sheldon of course was deeply offended and defended himself to the boys. He decided to try and change the topic, "Leonard, did you notice anything different when you parked in the lot tonight?"

"Uh…huh…huh…huh? W-w-what do you mean different?" Leonard asked.

"Did you notice anything new?" Sheldon hinted.

"New? I am not sure where you are going with this, but it seems to me that you are trying to get out of answering our questions, Sheldon, and it isn't going to work," Leonard gestured to the others.

"Yeah, Sheldon quit trying to get out of answering us," Howard persisted, "so tell us, have you and Amy done anything more than hold hands?"

"Yeah, dude, what's Amy like under all those layers" Raj tried to imagine.

"That is none of your business!" Sheldon glared. "And for the record, Howard, yes, we have kissed and been somewhat intimate" Sheldon blushed.

"Somewhat intimate? What? Tell us, did you get to second, third or home plate?" the pervert side of Howard coming forth.

"That's all you are going to learn, as this conversation is getting tedious and I have more news to share" Sheldon replied. Turning to Leonard, "Did you see anything new in the lot?"

"Sheldon, would you get to the point? I am really not sure what it is that I was supposed to notice" Leonard huffed, throwing up his hands.

"Well, it might have been silver in color?" Sheldon, not willing to give up his little game, continued to probe.

"OK, something silver, I still don't know…..wait, wait, wait" the light bulbs going on in Leonard's brain, "are you talking about that new SUV downstairs I saw? What, did you buy Amy a new car?" sounding incredulous.

"No-o-o" Sheldon teased "But I did buy a new, silver SUV" he continued.

"Why on earth would you buy a vehicle Sheldon?" Howard interrupted.

"Yeah, dude, you can't even drive, so why would you need an SUV?" Raj asked.

"Well gentlemen, and I use that title lightly on each of you, it appears that I am now…" Sheldon dug into his pocket and pulled out his wallet and his license and showed each of them his brand new driver's license "a licensed driver in the State of California."

"Holy crap on a cracker!" Leonard exclaimed at the same time that Raj let out "No way, dude" and Howard cried "Oh dear God please no, the apocalypse must be upon us."

"For your information, I am a very good driver. I drove around all over Pasadena today and did not get a scratch on my new car" Sheldon defended, pride building in his chest.

Howard ran for the door and opened it yelling back to Leonard and Raj "I am going to go talk to Amy about this prank, because this can't be true."

Meanwhile, back at Penny's apartment the girls began grilling Amy, "So Ames, tell us, how did he ask you, when did he ask you, does this mean you are going to have sex with him?" Penny started the list of questions with Bernie adding "Ames, are you sure you want to marry Sheldon Cooper?"

"Of course I want to marry Sheldon" Amy first replied. "He is my dream husband, handsome, intelligent, tall, lean, lanky and those eyes" she swooned.

"Ok, okay, we get the point" Penny interrupted. "So tell us, from the beginning, how did this happen?"

"We went to my parents for Thanksgiving Dinner, which you know I hate being around my family, but when I picked up Sheldon, he was all dressed handsomely in his suit and had made a pecan pie for the occasion. I couldn't believe he actually baked a pie." Amy started.

"Skip the pie, get to the desert" Penny impatiently interrupted.

"Yeah, Amy we want to know the good stuff" Bernie cut in.

"Okay, give me a minute here. I am trying to get there. Any way we got to my parents and Sheldon, although frustrated with my family, was on his best behavior. He was so charming that he even surprised my mother. She couldn't even remain icy around him. But even more interestingly, my father took to him. He actually taught Sheldon to drive."

"Wait, what? " Penny asked, her eyes growing wide. "Did you just say your dad taught Sheldon to drive?"

"Yes, Sheldon has learned to drive and today we stopped and got his driver's license." Amy smiled at the memory of him getting his first driver's license and the adorable look on his face when he successfully passed his tests.

"Sheldon Cooper can drive? I mean like is a licensed driver and everything?" Bernadette cried, finding it totally incredulous that they would allow Sheldon on the streets of Pasadena.

"Yes, in fact he drove all over Pasadena today picking up supplies for tonight," Amy boasted.

"OK, sweetie, I get it, Sheldon can drive and we can talk about that in a minute, but quit changing subjects. Tell us, how did he ask you?" Penny steered the conversation back to the engagement.

"Well, after he got back from learning to drive with Father, he came into the room, cleared his throat and asked for everyone to quiet down. He then told me he evaluated his feelings and compared them to facts and realized that he was in love with me and adored me and then bent down on his knee, pulled out a ring box with a ring in it and proposed" Amy dreamily beamed.

"Wow, Sheldon Cooper proposed… all on his own?" Bernadette shaking her head in amazement.

"Yes and not only that, he had already bought a ring and everything, without asking for my help to pick it out" Penny cried, shocked that he had not let her in on the planning.

"Yes, he did it all on his own" Amy agreed.

At that moment, Howard came busting through the door and set his eyes on Amy "Is it true that Sheldon really learned how to drive and that the State of California foolishly issued him a driver's license?"

"Yes, except about the foolish part, but yes, Sheldon was issued a license today" Amy replied, surprised at the interruption.

"And he bought himself a SUV…just like that?" Howard was twitching two of his fingers together that he often did when nervous, still amazed.

"Yes, he bought a SUV and drove it around running errands today" Amy shared. Turning to the girls, she continued "I think it is time we rejoin the boys. I can fill you in on more details later, although there isn't much else to tell at this point." With that, she got up to head toward the door, Howard, Bernadette and Penny following.

Rejoining the others, Amy walked over to Sheldon and wrapped her arm around his waist and whispered to him "was it really bad?"

Nodding slightly "not as bad as it could have been, but yes, how about you?"

"Same with me" Amy replied. They continued to gaze into each other's eyes, clearly wishing everyone gone. Sheldon just wanted quiet time with Amy now. It had been a busy day, they had shared their news and now he just wanted Amy to perhaps join him for another night of sleep and possible repeat of the night before. Amy clearly was sharing similar thoughts.

Watching the two lovebirds sharing another eye-coitus moment, Penny piped up raising her eyebrows at the others "you know what? These two have evidently had a pretty busy day with getting engaged, getting a driver's license, a new car and planning this party. I think we should probably call it a night and let them have some private time."

Bernadette catching on immediately agreed "Yes, I think Howie and I need to drop by to see his mother before we head home and it is getting rather late. Come on Howie, we can drop Raj and Stuart off on the way to your mom's."

"Leonard, I think I would like us to have our own little party back at my place" Penny winked. Leonard, seemed to like that idea and followed Penny out the door saying back at Sheldon "I'll be staying at Penny's tonight, no need to wait up for me."

Everyone else piled out of the apartment, Stuart turning on his way out saying "Congratulations Sheldon and Amy good luck to you. I hope he makes you happy." Amy smiled and went up to Stuart and kissed him on the cheek and whispered "very happy, Stuart and thank you for understanding and being a good friend to both of us." With that she shut the door behind them and turned to Sheldon who was staring at her with a raised eyebrow.

Sheldon immediately bristled "Hey, Dr. Fowler-Cooper, you can't be touching other men like that" his jealousy rearing its ugly head.

"Oh pish posh" Amy waved her arm at him "I was just telling him how wonderfully happy you make me and thanked him for understanding."

"Well, all right, but no more kissing other men. The only person you are allowed to kiss anymore is me" Sheldon beat his chest as he reclaimed Amy.

Amy smiled up at Sheldon "You really are a big goof sometimes, you know that?" she teased.

"I beg your pardon, I have never been a goof" Sheldon glared mockingly at Amy.

"Sheldon, you can be my big goof any day of the year and I will still love you. Don't you know you are the only man for me ever?" Amy reassured him.

Sheldon smiled back and then leaned down and kissed her on the lips briefly. Pulling back he asked, blushing at the same time "Amy, can I ask that you sleep here tonight with me again, like last night?"

"I would love that" Amy replied. I better get out my emergency kit because I didn't bring anything with me today. I had so many other things to carry. With that, she followed Sheldon into his room to pull out her emergency kit from his closet.


	3. Chapter 3: Valentine's Day and Baseball

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Author's Note: _Sheldon and Amy play baseball._

Amy emerged from the bathroom with a soft purple and white plaid colored pajama set and matching robe. She had already completed her nightly routine of makeup removal, teeth brushing, hair brushing and putting on lotion when she finally came to the door of Sheldon's room. The door was open and Sheldon was sitting on the floor next to his bed, looking through one of his many comic books, wearing his purple, white and black plaid pajamas. He looked up and smiled, "hey we match again" admiring her good taste in nightwear.

"So we do, and what are the odds of that?" Amy smiled back. "No wait, don't do the math. I should never have asked" she said, taking her right hand palm and hitting herself on her forehead, while shaking her head. She knew that just by asking something jokingly and innocently that Sheldon would likely look at it as a math challenge.

"It's okay, I promise to not do the match…well at least not tonight. I am too tired anyway and want to cuddle" Sheldon replied. "I can't believe I just uttered those words out of my mouth" he muttered.

"I can't either. The Sheldon Cooper I met at the coffee house would never, ever have wanted to cuddle with someone, much less a woman" Amy teased. "But then again, I have changed a lot as well. I would not have wanted to cuddle then either, but you changed all that. You got my motor running Dr. Cooper" she purred, blushing at the same time.

"I did?" Sheldon acted surprised by this revelation.

"Yes, Cuddles. You know I keep saying you are like sexy praying mantis, or sexy toddler or a sexy anything for that matter. To me you are the sexiest man alive" Amy bravely blurted.

Sheldon blushed and wasn't sure how to respond to this news. He knew Amy was always suggesting things to him, but he never really gave it much thought. "But wait, didn't you say that Zack Johnson got your motor running at one time?" Sheldon frowned at the memory, starting to feel less special.

"Zack was just an attractive outer package, but could never truly get my motor running. He would have made me weary after say, oh about, half a second. But, you Dr. Cooper, you are the full package. You have a sexy exterior and an even sexier interior. Your mind makes you sexy, your morals and principles make you sexy, your compassionate heart makes you sexy and let's face it those dang blue eyes of yours are pools I want to dive into" Amy confided.

Sheldon pondered this bit of information. He was pleased that Amy noticed the important things first, like his mind and principles. He felt those were also things he admired about Amy. But he had to admit to himself that he also liked her package. She was one sexy vixen. "Thank you, Amy and I must tell you that you are also a very attractive vixen with a brilliant mind."

Amy's eyes began to glisten. It was the first time ever that Sheldon referred to her as attractive. "Oh Sheldon, you think I am attractive?"

"Of course, Amy, you are the most attractive woman I have ever met. Sure there are beautiful women in movies and art or sculpture, but you are real and your beauty far surpasses all of theirs" Sheldon factually stated, while his ears turned bright red and his cheeks betrayed him by turning bright pink.

Amy leaned over and kissed Sheldon passionately. Sheldon returned her kiss, but then pulled her back. "Amy, the floor is hard, let's get in bed. Getting up, Sheldon carefully returned his comic book to its rightful location and then turned back the covers to climb in. Amy had already gone around to the other side of the bed and climbed in. She waited for Sheldon to arrange his pillow and covers exactly how he wanted them. He was always so precise about the exact way they lay on him and across the bed and over the side of the bed that it made her snicker. Once he felt pleased that everything was just right, he turned and offered an arm for Amy to come and cuddle with him. She moved over and nestled up to him, enjoying the warmth and the sound of his rhythmic heartbeat.

"Amy, I really would like for us to not have a long engagement. Have you given much thought about when you want to get married and much about the ceremony?" Sheldon asked.

Looking up at Sheldon, Amy could not help but want make him her husband as soon as possible. "Sheldon, I agree. I would like us to have a simple ceremony, with our friends and family, but I do want it to still be special as it will be a memory we will carry with us our entire lives."

"Do you think you can accomplish everything to make it special, in say three months?" Sheldon asked.

Amy was stunned. She was surprised that Sheldon was in such a hurry to marry, not that she minded one bit, but it still shocked her. "I can try? Is there something I should know about why you want to try and be married in three months' time?"

Blushing, Sheldon wasn't sure he was ready to tell her his real reason for wanting to marry so soon. Heck, if he could have his way, they would run down to the courthouse and marry tomorrow. "There isn't any impending reason, I suppose."

"But?" Amy pushed.

Sheldon hesitated, but taking a deep breath he admitted "it's just that…well…Kolinahr doesn't seem to be doing me much good" he looked up at her with pleading eyes hoping she would catch on.

Amy looked at him and believe she understood what he was trying to say, but could not get the words out to say it, she whispered gently "are you saying that you are having sexual urges toward me that you are finding harder and harder to control?"

Avoiding her eyes, he looked down at the covers and intimated "Yes. Amy, I want you, but I don't feel it is right for us to fully pleasure ourselves with each other until we are married. It's that Texan upbringing my mother gave me. Her voice works better than Kolinahr, but even her voice is starting to become quieter and quieter and my baser urges louder and louder."

"Sheldon, that is the most romantic thing you have ever told me" Amy beamed up at him. "But does this mean no more playing on second base?" she teased. "You know there are things I can do to help…uh…let's just say relieve some of the tension you may be experiencing" she continued to taunt him.

Sheldon giggled and replied back "Oh, I think that we can play around on second base a bit, but you have to know that second wants me to complete all the bases and make a home run, so we have to know when to have the umpire calls _OUT_. As far as the other, we shall see. While part of me thinks it sounds yucky and messy, another part also knows it would be pleasurable and well fun" his eyes twinkled.

"OK, well I won't push. I will let you be in the driver's seat! I will have all the _SAFE_ calls lined up and ready in three months" Amy teased. "Oh my gosh, three months?" Amy suddenly jerked upright to a sitting position. "I have to start making lists, three months isn't long."

"Well actually, it isn't exactly three months, but I was wondering if you wanted to marry on Valentine's Day? I thought you might find that romantic" Sheldon suggested.

"Oh Sheldon, that is so romantic. But that only gives me about two and a half months. OK, well tomorrow I am calling in reinforcements from Bestie and Bernie. We have a lot to get done, and I am going to be expecting a lot of help from you and the boys to pull this off" Amy commanded.

"Yes, Ma'am" Sheldon saluted. "But, for tonight, can we get back to cuddling and maybe playing around the first two bases?" Sheldon urged.

Smiling, Amy laid back down and snuggled up to Sheldon "yes, I would like that a lot." Sheldon leaned over and began to kiss Amy passionately.

Morning came quicker than the couple really had hoped. They had spent a great deal more time playing the bases than they probably had initially intended and thus got to sleep a lot later than they wanted. Amy woke up first and looked over at the still sleeping Sheldon. He was so adorable when he slept, that she could not help but want to wake him up and have him ravish her, but instead she quietly climbed out of bed. Putting on her robe, she padded out to the kitchen to begin to make breakfast.

Looking at his refrigerator to check the calendar menu item, she began to prepare breakfast. Today was an oatmeal day and she actually was glad it was. She felt that oatmeal would fortify them more than something sweeter. She hoped that sometime in the future she could break Sheldon's sweet tooth habit, and get him to enjoy more nourishing breakfasts. But for now, she was satisfied that it was an oatmeal day. Putting on the tea kettle, she brought down two mugs and bowls. She also brought down two glasses and pulled out the orange juice from the refrigerator. She decided bacon would be nice with oatmeal and searched for bacon. Finding that there were still a few strips left from a package in the refrigerator, she checked the date code and realized that it was still well within safe-to-eat timestamp. She began to fry up the bacon.

Sheldon woke up to the smell of bacon and hearing the spitting from the pan of the meat frying. He quickly grabbed his robe, smiling as he thought about the night before. While he was tired, he was happy. Bending around the corner to the kitchen he again breathed in a whiff of the bacon. "Smells good" Sheldon commented.

"Good morning Dr. Cooper" Amy turned and blew him a kiss. "Yes bacon and oatmeal this morning sounded good."

"Oh Amy you remembered it was my oatmeal day? Just another reason I love you so much" Sheldon beamed. He walked over and stood in back of her, putting his arms around her, laying his chin on top of her head. He rocked them back and forth for a couple of seconds then moved his head down lower and kissed her cheek. She turned around and embraced him fully and gave him a passionate kiss.

Pulling back she said "my tip" teasingly at him as she served both of them their breakfast.

When they finished eating, both of them did dishes together. Completing the last dish, Amy turned to Sheldon and said "what are your plans for the day?"

Sheldon thought for a moment. It was still Sunday and he didn't have to be at work. "I guess whatever you wish them to be" Sheldon replied coyly.

"Good answer" Amy smiled. "First, we need to figure out where to marry and see if what places are available on February 14. Any suggestions?"

"Well, I know my mother would like for us to be married in a church. I know neither of us believe in a deity, but I would like to please her and Mee-Maw" Sheldon pleaded.

"No problem, I don't mind getting married in a church, but do you know of one that will marry us? Aren't they sort of picky about being members or something" Amy asked

"No, not really, I don't know of any, but I am sure we can find somewhere that will let us get married there and let me include Kling-on in the ceremony." Sheldon pondered.

"OK, well how about this…you and the boys round up, start calling churches. Let's prepare a dialog of questions to ask so that everyone is asking the same thing. Let's figure out the diameter we are willing to work within and then you boys call and find one that is willing and is available for that date" Amy, sounding like a drill sergeant, outlined.

"So what are you and the girls going to be doing?" Sheldon wanted to see if he could get out of this task.

"The girls and I have to pick out florists, wedding cake baker, my gown, the bridesmaid gowns, colors, reception planning" as she was going down the list, Sheldon realized his list was a lot easier. "OK, the boys and I will find the church. I presume you are going to ask us to do the same for the reception" Sheldon inquired.

"Yes, and I would only plan that at most we would have 50 people attend, does that sound about what you were thinking." Amy suggested " I could ask my parents if they want to host the reception at the house?"

"50? Do we really need that many? Sheldon challenged.

"I said at most 50. Let me count….Your mother, sister, brother, Mee-Maw, my mother, father, uncle Jeff, Aunt Rose,….she continued to list off names of not only family, but colleagues at work, and their friends. In total they actually came to about 50 so both agreed to keep the list to 50.

Next, Amy asked "live band or DJ for the reception?"

"Oh dear Lord, do we have to have dancing and music?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course. Let's just go DJ. Live seems overkill for that size of a crowd" Amy surmised. "I will ask Mother about the reception, but in the meantime, you and the boys brainstorm alternatives."

"Fine." Sheldon relented. He was beginning to wonder why he didn't suggest his original idea of them going to the courthouse and just get married tomorrow. In fact, he decided to just ask "You know, we could simplify everything and just go down to the courthouse and we could actually be married even as early as tomorrow" hoping she would think about it.

Amy shot him a disapproving look and replied back "Sheldon, you know we are going to want to show our children and grandchildren the memory of our wedding day. Just how would it look to show them that we did nothing special, but just treated it like any other day."

"Well we could dress up nice still and you could buy a really pretty dress and even wear your tiara if you want" Sheldon pleaded "and if you don't want to go to the court house we could go to Las Vegas and get married there if you think that is a bit more upscale. We could do that instead of going to Texas to tell my mother and Mee-maw. We could go there on the way to a honeymoon instead and tell them not only that we are getting married, but that we are married."

"Sheldon, Sheldon, Sheldon. You know your mother would never be happy to be excluded from your special day. She will want to see you all dressed up and be at the ceremony, and as you said before, she will want it to be in a church."

Amy had a point. He didn't want to disappoint his mother or Mee-maw. He sighed and realized he was going to have to live a nightmare for the next two and a half months while they planned their wedding. He just hoped the wedding night would be worth all this trouble and somehow he felt it would be. That would have to remain his motivation. "Ok, you make a valid point and one that I cannot dispute. We will move forward as planned and I will call the boys together so we can begin to make calls and find us a venue both in terms of church. If you can't get your Mother to agree about her place for the reception, what about Stuart's comic bookstore?"

"Sheldon, be serious. Do you honestly think his comic bookstore is an appropriate place for a wedding reception?" Amy balked. "The rooftop would be a better place than that!"

"Well, I suppose we could have it there, but we might have to rent one of those large tents because it could rain in February" Sheldon considered.

"Just give it some further thought and look at other possibilities. You can add the rooftop with tent as an option on your list. Now I am going to shower quickly and begin to gather my girl posse up so we can put this plan into action" Amy informed. She walked up to Sheldon, stood on her toes and kissed him before dashing off to shower and wedding plan the rest of the day. Before she turned the corner, she turned back around and said "Sheldon, would you like to come over to my place tonight for dinner and spend the night? I can take you to work in the morning…oh wait, you can drive yourself to work."

"Yes, I would like us to have time tonight for just us. But can we agree no wedding talk when gather at your place tonight? I will update you throughout the day on our status as long as tonight can just be us and no plans?" Sheldon pouted slightly for emphasis.

"Sure, I would like that too" Amy smiled. "Maybe I can massage your back for you tonight and who knows, you might find you wish to take up my offer on stress relief" her eyes twinkled as she winked.

Sheldon blushed and winked back "you never know, I will let you ponder that until tonight, you vixen."

With that Amy turned and went to his room to gather up her things and headed back to the bathroom to shower. Sheldon smiled and started to think about the impending evening ahead. He looked down at his sign of arousal and shook his head. He just might have to take up that vixen's offer after all. Pulling out his cell phone he began to dial Howard, but before he clicked his call-button, Leonard walked in and so he began to explain to Leonard that he had an assignment for him today and that it wasn't an option. Leonard rolled his eyes and agreed to listen to the details. Nodding his agreement, Sheldon again attempted to call Howard, this time reaching him and explaining to Howard what he needed from him. He then called Raj after. The boys agreed to be at his place in 30 minutes.

Amy came out of the bathroom fully dressed and ready to pull her Bestie and Bernie together to begin a full day of shopping, shopping, shopping. Nodding quickly at Leonard she greeted him, "Good morning, Leonard. I trust you and Bestie had a wild, passionate night of sex and that you are ready to help Sheldon today?" Amy asked.

"Uh, yeah, I already told Sheldon, or rather agreed to his order, to help him. Boy you two are bossy" Leonard replied, getting up and going to the kitchen to rummage around for something before the others arrived.

"Good. Well I hope you have a successful day. I am off to gather Bestie and Bernie to accomplish my list of tasks" Amy said and then went up to Sheldon, pecked him on the cheek and whispered "tonight, you are on!" With that, she turned and ran out the door over to Penny's.


	4. Chapter 4: A Valentine's Wedding?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Amy wrapped rapidly on Penny's door. Opening the door in her Cheesecake Factory uniform, Penny greeted Amy, "What's up, Ames? I am just about to head to work."

"You have to work today? No, you have to get someone to cover for you. I need my Bestie today" Amy demanded frantically.

"Ames, what's wrong? You seem stressed out" Penny asked as she led Amy into her apartment.

"Sheldon wants us to get married on Valentine's Day and that means we have a ton of things to do today to prepare for the wedding" Amy blurt out. "I have a huge list and can't do it all by myself. I need you and Bernadette to help."

"Calm down, Ames. I will be happy to help, but I do have to work today. It's Sunday and a big brunch crowd at the restaurant. That means I get bigger tips too" Penny reminded Amy. "I can meet up with you and Bernadette around 4 if you want, but I am really running late and have to get going."

Amy slumped her shoulders and replied "Fine, I understand. Ok, call me when you get off work and we will let you know where we are at so you can meet up with us." She and Penny then left the apartment at the same time and began their descent down the stairs.

"Sheldon actually suggested Valentine's Day all by himself?" it finally sunk into Penny.

"Yes, he is so romantic" Amy dreamily grinned.

Shaking her head in amazement "I can't believe it. I thought he would want to drag out your engagement for years."

Leaning closer to her bestie, Amy whispered, " I know, but evidently his body had an earlier time clock" raising her eyebrows up and down with the revelation.

Penny stopped dead in her tracks and turned to Amy, holding her back and wide-eyed asked "What? Are you telling me Sheldon has…uh…what does he call it…oh yeah, baser urges?"

"Shhh, but yes. He told me that Kolinahr is no longer working and that he does not believe in having sex before marriage for himself because of his upbringing" Amy intimated.

Continuing to descend the stairs in a daze, Penny muttered "Wow, I guess wack-a-doodle does have a penis after all and actually knows what it is good for."

"That's my fiancé you are talking about there, Bestie" Amy, looking down at the ring sparkling on her finger as she remarked. " I thank you to kindly quit thinking of his penis."

"I know, and I still can't believe that you two are engaged either. Sheldon Cooper actually is getting married and wants sex. The world really is turning upside down" Penny continued to be stunned.

As they reached the bottom of the stairs, Howard and Raj entered the building. "Hey guys" Penny greeted. Amy nodded and said "Thank you for agreeing to help Sheldon."

"We weren't really given a choice" Howard retorted. "But you are welcome. What are you girls up to?"

"Penny is on her way to work and I am just about to call Bernadette and swing by to pick her up. We have a full day of shopping ahead. Penny will meet up with us when she gets off work" Amy replied.

"Oh, Bernie is already anticipating a call. I warned her you probably would want her help today since Sheldon revealed to me that you had your own list of things to get done… and he said you would be asking the girls for help."

"Good, then let's get to it" Amy commanded. With that she waved goodbye to Penny and headed out the door to her car, pulling her phone out on the way. Once she got inside her car, she initiated a call to Bernadette. "Hello Bernie, it's Amy. I need your help today. Can I swing by and pick you up?"

"Hi Ames, sure. Howie already told me you probably would be calling and asking for my help. I got dressed and am ready to hit the pavement with you" Bernadette enthused. "I think I can help you a lot because I still have my list of everyone I talked to for my wedding and that way we can cut down our foot traffic quite a bit."

"Terrific. I will be there in about seven minutes. See you then" Amy disconnected and put her seat belt on, starting her engine, drove off to pick up Bernadette.

Sheldon was sitting at his computer Googling wedding location ideas, with Leonard doing the same on his computer laptop. Howard and Raj were looking through the yellow pages and Howard was recalling some of the places and checking them off the list immediately.

It only took about 30 minutes before Sheldon found a great contender. "Hey, I think this place would be perfect" he turned and waved the others over to look. "Amy I am certain would like it and I think it would meet my mother's approval. It has a non-denominational pastor as well that can marry us" Sheldon continued to read.

"Bernie and I looked at that place. We both liked it a lot and it was our top _indoor_ choice. But you know she had her heart set on doing an _outdoor_ wedding" Howard reminisced. "As it worked out, she did get married outdoors, but not exactly the location she was expecting. But what a wonderful day it was up on your rooftop."

"Yes, well your trip to space definitely cut into your plans" Sheldon commented. "So Bernadette liked this place as well, so you think Amy will like it?" Sheldon turned to ask Howard.

"Yeah, Bernie loved it. I know Amy will like it because she said she took the girls and they both loved it as well" Howard encouraged.

"Let me call them then and see if I can have our task list complete" Sheldon suggested as he picked up his cell phone and punched in the number and hit his call button.

Amy arrived at Bernadette's and the two were quickly on their way to the formal wear store where the girls had bought their gowns for Bernie's wedding. "Ames, remember that gown you liked before when we were looking for my wedding dress?"

"Yeah, it was beautiful. I loved the detail on it" Amy remembered.

"I think we should start with you trying it on" Bernie offered. "It might just quicken our search if you feel it is _the one_, and trust me, you know as soon as you put it on if it is the right gown."

Amy shrugged, "It couldn't hurt. It certainly would speed things up if it worked out to be the one and we could check it off of my list. Do you think they can get it here in time?"

"I think so, if we find it today that is. For all we know, they may even have it in your size and it would only need some minor alterations to fit you perfectly" Bernie encouraged.

Back at the apartment, Sheldon had called the venue and found that it was if someone was looking down on he and Amy because it was available and he even found the cost of the place to be reasonable. He went ahead and booked it without approval from Amy because he didn't want to possibly lose the opportunity. With that he called Amy.

"Sheldon? What's up? Bernadette and I are just pulling up to our first stop" Amy answered.

"Well I beat you then" Sheldon teased. "Amy, we are booked to be married at the Chapel of Roses on February 14 at 2PM in the afternoon. They have a reception room right there on the premises where we can continue our festivities well into the evening" Sheldon boasted, proud of his achievement.

"Chapel of Roses?" Amy asked while turning to Bernadette to question at the same time.

"Oh that was that beautiful chapel that we all liked, remember? It was our first choice" Bernie nodded enthusiastically.

"Yes Amy, Chapel of Roses. I understand that you had viewed it with Bernadette when she and Howard were planning their wedding and that it was a place you liked" Sheldon continued.

"Yes, oh Sheldon it is beautiful. I can't believe I didn't remember it before now" Amy approved.

"Oh I am so pleased" Sheldon enthused. "Now that our job is done, we decided to head over to the comic bookstore.

"Sheldon, you the boys can be useful and help check off other items on this list" Amy demanded. She quickly looked at her list for something they would not object to too greatly and suggested "how about if you come up with a list of music for the reception and download anything we might need that none of us own already."

"OK, but we still are going to the comic bookstore and will work on that when we get back. I will ask Stuart what CD's he owns while there so we can possibly check off some of the selections" Sheldon negotiated.

"Fine. If I am not done by the time you want to head to my apartment, just let yourself in and wait for me there" Amy agreed.

"Yes, but try to be there no later than 6:30 so we can eat together, okay?" Sheldon pleaded.

"Ok, I will do my best. See you then" Amy smiled as she disconnected the call.

Bernadette and Amy entered the dress shop and immediately began browsing through the racks. Bernie was the first to find the gown Amy had admired earlier and called her over, handing her the hanger. "Go try it on."

Taking the gown, Amy entered a dressing room and began to undress. She slipped on the gown and it took her breath away. She knew, just like Bernie had suggested, it was _the one_. She opened the door and turned her back to Bernie asking for her assistance to complete buttoning the small tiny buttons that followed her spine. Once the final button was fastened, Amy turned around. "You look beautiful" Bernadette beamed. "You literally take my breath away, Amy. Oh Sheldon will absolutely want to rip this gown off of you" she continued.

Amy walked over to the surround-view mirrors and began to study the gown. She felt like Princess Grace Kelly in her gown. She knew it was perfect. Her tiara would just be the finishing touch, but the gown was stunning. "Bernadette, I feel like a Princess. I want this one. You were right; you know immediately when it is the one." Amy dreamily studied herself. "Do you think Penny would feel bad if I get it before she has a chance to see me in it?"

"No Ames, I don't think she would mind at all. Besides, she already knew you liked this gown. I am sure it will not upset her at all. Ooo, I have an idea, let's take a picture of you in it and text it to her while she is at work" Bernie suggested.

"Yes, I like that idea. I would feel better if she gave me her approval before I purchase it" Amy agreed.

Bernadette took out her cell phone and snapped a few photos and immediately text'd them to Penny. She added a message asking that Penny get back with her thoughts as soon as possible so they could decide whether to buy the gown. Within 30 seconds, Penny had sent a text back and Bernie held up her cell phone to Amy.

"B-U-Y I-T! Scream! It is beautiful! Ames looks stunning in it. Tell her she has to buy it. Sheldon's eyes are going to bulge out. He is going to love it. If she doesn't buy it, tell her I am marching her right back down there and making her buy it" Penny commanded.

"I guess that settles it" Amy nodded. "Can you please help unbutton me?" she asked while still admiring her image in the mirrors.

"Sure. Wow, that was quick Ames. And this fits so well, I think if they have another size, they might sell you this one and you can just have it cleaned and altered "Bernadette suggested.

Amy changed out of the gown and waved over a sales attendant. After some discussion, it was discovered that the gown she had just tried on had never been tried on by anyone else as it had just been hung up that morning in the store and she was the first to try it on. They did have another sample size of the same gown so the sales clerk agreed to sell that gown to Amy.

Completing her purchase, Amy made arrangements for when she would come in for alterations. Next she asked the clerk for help with shoes that would match the gown and that would have a matching purse. Once those had been selected, she purchased her new items. Amy and Bernadette left the store, shoes and purse in the bag her hand held, feeling proud of their accomplishments.

Next on their list was to visit a bridal lingerie store. It was two-doors down from the bridal store where they entered and Bernie began to browse. "Oh Ames, Sheldon would have a heart attack seeing you in this" Bernie teased, holding up a skimpy, hardly-there…well Amy didn't even know what to call it.

Blushing Amy suggested they keep looking.

Entering Stuart's store, the guys began to browse through the store, looking at what might have been added since they were last there. Stuart walked up to Sheldon and asked "So, have you and Amy made any further plans on when you will be getting married?" Part of him wished that it would be a long time off so that Amy would tire of Sheldon and break up with him. He felt if she broke up with Sheldon, he might be given another chance.

"Why yes we have, Stuart. We are getting married this Valentine's Day" Sheldon turned and enthused. Part of him also was feeling quite victorious and wanted to rub it in Stuart's face. "In fact, we just booked the chapel and reception location today." Sheldon continued. "By the way, we may need to borrow some of your CD's for the reception. Can you provide me a list of the music you own so that I can show it to Amy?"

"Uh…sure…I guess. What kind of music do you want?" Stuart was a bit taken aback at the boldness, but also found he could not refuse.

"Well…I really don't know…but Amy wants dancing at the reception…so something that would be appropriate for a wedding reception that also has a bit of a beat to it" Sheldon replied.

"OK, well I guess I will go through my CD's and pull out anything that might work" Stuart began thinking of his CD collection as he walked away to go service a customer.

Several purchases later, Amy and Bernadette left the lingerie store and decided to stop for coffee and a snack. Finding a cute little café nearby, they wandered over and were seated at an outdoor table. "This is nice" Amy commented looking around.

"It is cute, isn't it?" Bernie agreed. "Let's hope the food is as good. The menu looks like we may be in for a treat."

The girls ordered and then relaxed and enjoyed the sun shining down on them. A few minutes later, Amy began to look over her list. "Ames, put that thing down!" Bernie exclaimed. "You don't have to check off every item in one day. Just relax and enjoy being engaged to the man of your dreams, although I still question how Sheldon Cooper could be the man of your dreams."

Amy gave her a mocking glare and replied "I just want to make sure that we are making good progress" as she studied the list.

"Well most florists are not open on Sunday's, nor are wedding cake suppliers, isn't that the last of your list?"

"Pretty much, other than wedding invitation" Amy concurred.

"Well the wedding invitations are another thing that likely has to wait until a weekday. How about we go look at some tomorrow during lunch?"

Amy recalled that she and Sheldon would be flying out to Texas later in the week and panic set in. How could she take time to go there and plan her wedding in time. Bernadette noticed a rise in Amy's anxiety level. "Ames, are you okay?"

"It's just that Sheldon and I are supposed to fly to Texas later in the week to inform his side of the family about our engagement." Amy blurted, "How can I get all of this done in time for our wedding at the same time?"

"Ames, calm down. Why don't you give me an idea of what kind of invitations you might like. I can go do the shopping for you and text you photos. You can decide which ones you want and I can order them for you. Same with the cake and flowers" Bernadette offered. "Penny can help me with it too and she knows your taste pretty well so I know she can help."

Amy studied Bernadette and immediately calmed down, "yes, yes, I think that would work." Pondering for a couple of more seconds she took Bernie's hand and squeezed it "thank you Bernadette. You are such a good friend. You don't know how much this means to me. I don't want to be a wreck meeting Sheldon's family, but I do want our day to be well planned and perfect as well. It would mean the world to me if you could help me in that way."

"You've got it girl!" Bernie beamed. She actually loved wedding planning and remembered how much Raj helped. She suggested "Raj can help too. He helped Howie and me a lot. He has excellent taste, Amy and I know he will do you proud."

"You are right Bernadette, he is good at planning events. Maybe if I could lean on him more, it would leave me more time to actually enjoy this whole thing" Amy agreed.

"Yes, it is important that you and Sheldon enjoy each other and this special time in your lives. You are only engaged once and, in your case, a very short time so you need to enjoy it while you can."

"Thank you, Bernie. You really are a special person." The girls' food arrived and they began to eat and chat about Amy's beautiful gown, the weather, just about anything that made them happy. Bernie then asked "Amy, where are you and Sheldon going on your honeymoon?"

Amy's eyes widened when she realized that she had not even thought about the honeymoon.


	5. Chapter 5: Honeymoon on the Brain

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

The boys had returned to Sheldon's apartment looking over their purchases. "We better start looking through our CD's, Leonard" Sheldon commented as he carefully placed his comic books on the coffee table.

"Why do we need to go through our CD's?" Leonard asked.

"Because we need to find music we can play at the wedding reception. I promised Amy we would come up with some music."

"Bernie and I still have our compiled wedding music CD's" Howard piped up. "You can borrow them if you want."

Sheldon was excited about this because it would enable him to check off another item on the list. "That is an excellent idea. Thank you, Howard."

"Sure. So where are you spending your wedding night and going for your honeymoon?" Howard probed.

Sheldon immediately began to fidget. He could not believe he had not even given any consideration about the wedding night locale, nor where they would go for their honeymoon. "Um….I got so busy thinking of the wedding and my trip to Texas later this week that I hadn't thought about the wedding night and honeymoon" Sheldon admitted. "Speaking of which, I need to make reservations for our trip to Texas" he continued trying to avoid the fall-out of what he just admitted. He immediately sat in front of his laptop and began tapping the keys to pull up airline reservation sites, searching for the most direct flights, yet most economical.

"Sheldon, you do realize that the wedding night, especially in your case, has to be well thought out. You need to create the right atmosphere" Howard continued to push. "You can't avoid sex once you are married. She is going to want it even more than she already does."

"Dude, you gotta do it" Raj joined in.

"I know" Sheldon barked back. "She isn't the only want that is going to want it" he muttered, but loud enough for the others to hear.

"Wait, wait, wait a minute. Are you telling me that Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, doctor of "sex is yucky and unhygienic and lowly human baser urge" actually wants to have sex?" Howard exclaimed.

"Dude, you've condescended us about our "baser urges leading us into brainlessness" and now you have been holding out on us and actually are admitting that you are just like us and want sex?" Raj demanded.

"Guys, go easy on him" Leonard tried to intervene. "He finally hit puberty and you all remember what that was like. His hormones can't take that kind of teasing."

"Excuse me, but my hormones are just fine, raging for Amy yes, but they are quite in check. Yes, I am very attracted to Amy and want to enjoy the full merits of married life with her, but I do not want any further discussion on this matter. This subject is now closed" Sheldon commanded. With that he turned and continued his search for airlines tickets.

"Ok, well we won't tease you anymore about sex, but you still need to think about the wedding night and where you want to go on your honeymoon" Howard refused to be ignored.

Sheldon waved his hand and replied "let me finish these reservations and then I am open to suggestions." He continued searching and eventually finalized the reservations for their trip to Texas. Once he filed away his confirmation and their boarding passes, he turned back to the boys and said, "So what are your suggestions?"

Bernadette looked over at her friend's panicked expression and asked "You have thought about the honeymoon, haven't you?"

"No, actually" Amy replied. "Sheldon and I got so busy immediately thinking about wedding tasks that it was not something that came up."

"Maybe he wants to surprise you" Bernadette offered. "Amy, have you…I mean…I don't mean to be personal, but have you considered birth control?"

"Uh, no, I haven't really thought about it. I mean I know about a lot of the methods, of course, but they all seem so vast and all have so many side effects" Amy replied.

"Well, you have to figure out which one is right for you. I can take you to my gynecologist if you want and she can perhaps help you narrow down choices" Bernadette continued.

"Yes, I think that would be helpful. Can I ask what you and Howard use for protection?" Amy asked frankly.

"I am on the pill, but I know there are many other options out there for you to explore. You might want to research it more online and then figure out what would likely work best for you. That way when you meet with my doctor, you can have your choices narrowed a bit. Would you like me to call tomorrow and see if I can get you in early next week?"

"Yes, that sounds good. Sheldon and I should be returning from Texas by Monday evening, so any time after that would work for me" Amy informed.

"I will call you and then text you the date and time once I have it confirmed from the office" Bernie offered.

"Perfect."

Sheldon was getting bored with all of the suggestions from the guys and really wanted to get ready to head to Amy's apartment. He really missed her and could not wait to get together and snuggle. He even shocked himself with his yearning. Looking at the clock he realized it was around 4:00 in the afternoon and told his friends that he had to get ready to meet up with Amy. He thanked Howard and Raj for their help and they left. Leonard looked at Sheldon and shook his head.

"You have it bad" Leonard commented.

"Huh? What? What do I have bad?" Sheldon asked, oblivious to Leonard's remark.

"You have it bad for Amy. You really do love her, don't you" Leonard said.

Sheldon fidgeted and averted his eyes, but then quietly said "Yes. Amy is wonderful and beautiful and well, everything to me."

"Sheldon, that is the way it is supposed to be. I am happy for you" Leonard smiled. He then headed back to his room, wanting to look at his new comic books.

Sheldon tidied up the room and then went over to the computer to begin researching possible wedding night locations. He decided that he wanted to surprise Amy with the honeymoon plans and first he wanted to see if he could get some ideas from her while they were on their trip to Texas. He thought maybe, if he worked hard at being observant he could pick up on a clue when they talked.

Penny joined Bernadette and Amy at 4, just as she had said she would, but learned quickly that most of the plans had already been accomplished until the early part of the week. "So Bernadette and I will help narrow down invitation ideas, flowers, and cake, is that correct?"

Amy and Bernie nodded. "Amy and Sheldon are going to be heading to Texas on Thursday to tell his family about their engagement and upcoming wedding plans. I told her we could do some leg-work for her and text her ideas through photos. She could text us back with her selections and we could place the order for her."

"I, of course, will leave cash with Bernadette so that you can put down payments on the orders" Amy offered. "Oh and if you two want, you can send me photos of gown ideas for you two, because I definitely want you both in the wedding."

"Ooo, Penny we can shop for gowns together. I can't wait. What colors did you want to go with?" Bernie asked.

"Sheldon loves red and gold, like his flash shirt and Star Trek officer uniforms, so I thought I would plan it with those colors, especially since it will be on Valentine's Day" Amy replied with a far off look in her face.

"So would you rather we wore red or gold?" Penny asked.

"Either color or both if it is a pattern that you like" Amy replied. "I really don't have a strong opinion one way or the other. Let's just see what you can find and what colors the dress comes in and go from there." It sounded logical to her friends so they agreed.

"You know Ames, it isn't that late. Do you want the three of us to go look at some gowns now and then we can get some ideas of what you like" Penny offered.

Amy glanced at her watch, it was only 4:15, so she agreed. As tired as she was and as much as she wanted to see Sheldon, having another item checked off of her list felt even better at this point. The girls headed back to the dress shop, hoping to get at least another hour of shopping in and a decision narrowed.

Penny was delighted Amy was willing to go with them and hoping to steer her from the usual dreaded hideous bridesmaid dress that she was certain Amy would likely have chosen on her own. She felt that if she and Bernie could convince her together, they would find something far more appropriate and flattering. Searching through the racks, however, she was beginning to wonder if she would ever find something. It seemed that the styles were either for teenaged prom girls, or for mother of the bride. Finding something age appropriate was beginning to look difficult.

Oddly, it was Amy who was the first to find the gown that everyone agreed would likely be a good candidate. Both Penny and Bernie tried on sample gowns in their sizes of the style Amy selected. Coming out of their dressing rooms, all three girls hitched their breaths. Penny and Bernie both were stunning and Amy definitely approved. All decided that they had found the gown for the girls, another item checked off of the list.

Amy went up to pay for their dresses, noting that she might have to transfer some funds from her savings over to her checking later that evening so that all the funds she spent would be well covered. Mentally calculating it, she realized, between the down payment on Sheldon's car and all her purchases that day, that she had just enough to clear everything and possibly leave her another $100.00 in the account. She definitely would be transferring funds so she had enough for her Texas trip.

It was around 5:15 and the girls decided to head to a local pub for one drink before Amy needed to head home for the evening. Amy decided not to have any alcohol, so ordered a Shirley Temple. The other two girls ordered their glasses of wine and the three prided themselves on all that had been accomplished that day. About 45 minutes later, Amy headed out the door and drove home to her apartment, happily looking forward to her evening with Sheldon. When she opened the apartment, Sheldon was already inside, setting out dinner for the two of them.

"Hey Cuddles" Amy greeted as she tossed her purse on the chair next to the door and dumped the bags with her purchases on the couch. Removing her coat, she hung it and head to the kitchen to give Sheldon a hug.

"Hello Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper" he smiled, hands busy placing pizza slices on plates. Amy wrapped her arms around him and just breathed in his scent. He wrapped his arms, hands sticking out away from her because he had just touched the pizza and he felt his hands were greasy, and embraced her as best he could. He then leaned down and kissed her lips. "I missed you" he revealed.

"I missed you too" she returned.

"It appears you had at least some success today? I see you made some purchases" Sheldon craned his neck toward the couch, hoping she would reveal her purchases to him.

"Yes, I bought some things, and then some things are on order. We managed to purchase the girls their gowns, as well as my gown, which is still at the shop for alterations. I also bought shoes and purse and some lingerie. Bernadette and Penny are going to look at wedding invitation, cake, and floral suppliers early this week and text me ideas. Any that I select they will order so we can finish those off of the list. How was your day?"

"Well, you will be happy to know that we booked the wedding and reception locale at the Chapel of Roses and then Howard said he still has the CD's with all of the wedding music from his wedding reception party. Raj is also willing to help and offered to help you with the reception planning. I told him that you probably would not mind and that would be a great help."

"Oh Sheldon, yes, it would be wonderful if he could help find caterers and a DJ as well as help decorate the reception hall. Maybe we can text him the flowers as well so he can help me with those" Amy enthused.

"Great idea" Sheldon replied, but a bit distracted. He took a couple of seconds and then continued "How about you show me what lingerie you bought" curiosity getting the better of him. He was nearly aroused just anticipating the possibilities.

Amy smacked his arm teasingly and ran to the couch to grab the bags she left on the couch. "No way, Dr. Cooper. Those remain a surprise mystery for about two and a half months" Amy smirked. "You will just have to use that naughty imagination of yours instead." Amy ducked down her hall out of his view.

"Drat!" Sheldon mocked back at her. He hated surprises almost as much as secrets, but for some reason this one was going to drive him crazier than usual.

Amy wandered back into the room, empty handed. "I am starving and exhausted" Amy stated, flopping onto the couch. "Thank you for getting us pizza and being so thoughtful" she said as Sheldon was setting the plates on the coffee table. She pecked his cheek with a kiss before he straightened back up to head over and grab their drinks. "I figured you would be more tired than I was since we spent most of our time at the apartment and our day was pretty uneventful and less exhausting." Sheldon set the drinks down on the coffee table and sat down next to Amy in his "cuddling" spot. He had decided that was his favorite spot because it was where she had kissed him and he had cuddled with her.

"Still, it was very thoughtful and I am grateful that I am marrying such a wonderful and loving man" Amy boast. They gazed at each other and drew toward each other, passion overcoming appetite. Coming apart for air, they giggled and Amy suggested "we better fill our stomachs first. As much as I want us to head to bed right now, I think we better wait a couple of hours at least so I don't wake up in the wee hours."

"OK, 8:30 we head to bed. That way we can have our bed time and then sleep early enough you can wake up and get to work early so you can make up hours you will miss on Thursday and Friday" Sheldon negotiated.

"Deal." With that Amy picked up a piece of pizza and began to eat. "I forgot to ask, did you remember to make our plane reservations?"

"Yes, of course I did, they are made and I have our boarding passes already printed off" Sheldon replied.

"I wonder how your mother is going to take the news. I didn't get the impression she likes me very much from the first time I met her" Amy frowned.

"Oh that, I think she likes you a lot, Amy. Leonard later revealed to me that Mom used reverse psychology on me, because she knew it would be a way I would want us to start being friends again. Remind me to thank her for that when we are there" Sheldon confided.

"She is a shrewd woman. I must thank her as well" Amy smiled, remembering that evening and how it ended so well.

After they finished eating, Amy took the dishes to the sink, rinsed them and put them in her dishwasher. She threw out the pizza box and cleaned the coffee table and counter top. Sheldon was looking for something that they could watch for the rest of the time they would be up, but clearly not wanting to think too much. His thoughts were elsewhere and that meant his brain was down the hall inside a certain bedroom. Actually the thought of her bedroom reminded him of the honeymoon. Perhaps he would try to see if he could learn anything while they were watching TV from her without arousing suspicion.

Amy remembered that she needed to transfer some funds and immediately hopped onto her computer. "What are you doing over there so far away from me" Sheldon asked.

"I just wanted to quickly transfer some funds over from my savings to my checking account. I have spent a sizable amount over the last few days and pretty much deleted my checking. I wanted to make sure I had spending money for our trip to Texas" Amy replied.

"Amy, I told you not to put money down on the car. Let me pay you back. You shouldn't have to transfer funds over from your savings" Sheldon piped up.

"Absolutely not, Sheldon, I want that to be an engagement gift from me. Putting her hand up because she knew an objection was on its way to her, "and I know you don't like gifts, but I insist."

"Fine, but I don't have to like it. I appreciate it and love you for it, but that doesn't mean I like it" he pouted, knowing there would be no further negotiation on the matter.

Amy returned and snuggled up next to Sheldon. He had selected a History channel documentary on ancient relics found in China that revealed that a localized group of people could be a lost tribe of Israel. While it was not something they normally would watch, both were content to just zone out in each other's arms. Sheldon decided the silence was too enjoyable and therefore did not probe about honeymoon ideas. Instead he just wanted to relax and hold Amy.

Eight thirty came and the two went through their nightly routines and slipped into bed. Snuggling they just enjoyed the closeness. While Sheldon wanted to play baseball some more in bed, he realized that there was something special about just being close and peaceful. Before 8:45 hit the clock, both were sound asleep.


	6. Chapter 6: The Cooper Introductions

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Amy woke up around 4:30 in the morning. She rubbed sleep from her eyes and quietly got out of bed. Sheldon stirred a bit, and managed to quickly take up the space she had left behind, stretching out over the bed. She smiled at him and leaned down, giving him a whisper of a kiss on his forehead. Quietly pulling her drawers, she pulled out clean underwear and went to her closet and pulled down clothing for the day. She tiptoed out of the room and went to the bathroom and started up the shower to warm before stepping in. After removing her robe and pajamas, she stepped into the shower and let the hot water spray down upon her. It felt so good.

After her shower and toweling off, Amy brushed her teeth and began to dress. She quickly blew her hair dry and combed it out, placing her clip in the usual location. She exited the bathroom and quickly wrote out a brief note to Sheldon letting him know that she had left for work and that she had everything for French toast (since it was French toast day) in her kitchen. Dropping off the note on her pillow, she glanced at him, smiling, she blew him a quick kiss and quietly left the room. Grabbing her purse she opened the apartment door and quietly closed it, locking it behind her.

At the lab, Amy immersed herself in her work. She wanted to get a lot accomplished so that there would not be an issue with her taking time off to go to Texas to see Sheldon's family. As she was working she began to imagine what Missy might look like and George Jr. as well. She knew that Missy was beautiful based on Penny's description, but no one had given her any idea about George Jr. If he looked anything like Sheldon, she knew he would be handsome.

A couple of hours later, a buzzing phone interrupted Amy's concentration on her work. _Good Morning Dr. Fowler-Cooper. I really miss you this morning. I felt like a game of baseball._ Sheldon had text'd Amy and she could not help but laugh. "Boy, the tiger in him sure came to life after a little hanky panky" she thought. Since he mentioned it, she started to think about him touching her and began to be aroused. Texting him back she replied _something to look forward to tonight, perhaps?_

Sheldon just finished drying the dishes he used when making and eating breakfast at Amy's. He heard his phone buzz and picked it up to read the message. Smiling he punched back _only if you promise to not be too tired this time. Meet me at my place around 6:00? Make sure to bring sleepover supplies_.

Amy smiled, her eyes twinkling with anticipation of her upcoming evening with Sheldon. Sighing, she tried to get back into her work, making a rather feeble attempt.

Sheldon and Amy boarded the plane three days later on their way to Texas. "Have you thought about how you are going to break the news?" Amy inquired as they settled into their seats and clicked their seat belts in place.

"I have already asked Mom to plan an entire family dinner tonight. I didn't reveal anything other than I thought it would be easier for you to meet everyone at once" Sheldon replied.

"Will we land in time to get there by dinner?" Amy asked, having no clue how far away his family lived from where they were flying in.

"Yes it will be about 4 when we land and we have another hour drive to home, but should be there in plenty of time" Sheldon replied, looking down at their clasped hands, smiling. "Amy, I am so happy that you get to meet Mee-Maw. I know she is going to love you."

Amy admitted, "I am very excited to meet her as well, but am also not going to lie…I am nervous. I really know how important she is to you and nothing would make be sadder than to know she didn't approve of me."

"Impossible! There is no way she is not going to approve of you. She is going to love you. She loves me and you are so much like me, there is no way she can't love you" Sheldon reassured.

Once they were in the air, Sheldon thought back about Amy's family and decided that while they were back at his family home he would try to learn more about why they were so rude to her, treating her as if she didn't belong. In the meantime, he thought about seeing if he could explore honeymoon ideas.

"Amy, I have only been to Switzerland and Texas other than California. How about you? Have you been many places?"

"Yes. I have pretty much traveled everywhere in the world, but a lot of it I don't remember. " Amy replied, curious as to what brought on the topic.

"Why don't you remember? Were you young or something at the time?" Sheldon continued.

"Yes, and to be honest, we went so many places when I was young they sort of all ran together in my mind, since all I cared about was science. I really didn't like traveling" Amy explained.

"Oh, so you don't like to travel?" feeling a bit uneasy, Sheldon continued.

"Well, I don't mind domestic travel, but I have not been that fond of international travel, although I don't mind the United Kingdom" Amy pondered.

"Why there?" Sheldon perked up.

"I don't know why. I really can't explain it. It sort of feels like home-away-from-home. I get a strong sense of déjà vu there" Amy lost in thought replied.

Sheldon decided that was probably enough exploring for the moment. At least it was something to go on, but he might try to learn more later.

"Do you want to play a game of Counterfactuals to pass the time?" Sheldon finally after about five minutes passed while both were silent in their own thoughts.

"Sure. Do you have the cards?" Amy asked.

Sheldon took off his seat belt and reached up overhead and grabbed his backpack. Opening it, he pulled out the cards and smiled while reattaching his seat belt, "Yes, I never leave home without them" Sheldon beamed. He zipped up his bag and put it under his feet for the rest of the flight.

Landing in Texas, Sheldon quickly located their bags on the terminal baggage area and gathered them up, handing Amy her rolling bag. They rolled both of their bags down to the rental car area and a few minutes after signing paperwork, walked outside of the terminal to have their car driven up to them. Keys handed over, the two stored their luggage, got in the car, put on their seat belts and began to wind their way to the Freeway. Sheldon was driving. He wanted to surprise his family by showing up behind the wheel when they arrived. He knew they would run out to meet him. They always did.

As they drove along the Freeway, Amy and Sheldon enjoyed a fun game of I Spy. The closer they got to their exit, Amy started to get more nervous. She pulled down the sun visor to see if they might have a mirror on her side of the car. It was fortunate that they not only had a mirror, but it was a mirror that lit up. She looked at her image and pulled out lipstick to refresh her lips. She brushed her hair and checked to see if anything else needed attention. Satisfied that she looked presentable, she moved the visor back up and looked at Sheldon. How she wished she could hold his hand, but given the newness of his driving skill, she wanted to let him have both hands free for keeping them safely on the road.

As Sheldon entered the neighborhood where his family home was located, Amy admired the quaintness of the homes. They were charming. For some reason, she had always pictured him living in a charming neighborhood, not one that was cold and full of servants like her childhood had been. Pulling onto the street where his mother's house was located, she noticed a group of people waiting on their porch, already craning their necks to see if they could figure out who was in the car. The closer he got, the more they tried to see in the car. Unfortunately the car had the vanity tint on the windows, giving them a challenge.

She studied the house. It was a farm-house style home with a large wrap-around porch. The color was a soft yellow with white trim. It really was charming, almost like out of a storybook.

While in the car, Amy quickly noticed Missy and George Jr. Missy was beautiful. She was tall in stature and very stylish. She had beautiful skin and eyes that sparkled blue like Sheldon's. George was a bit shorter than Sheldon, and stockier, but he was a handsome man. He had a more burly appearance, like one that works harder labor in the weather elements. She would have guessed him to be into construction. His eyes, oddly, were not blue. They were brown, like Mary's. George looked like he carried weight on his shoulders. He definitely didn't have the "full of life" spark that Missy had about her. He seemed more weighted down, like life had thrown him a curve ball.

Sheldon slowly pulled up in front of the home and the group descended from the porch, running toward the car. Amy already felt a bit overwhelmed. Sheldon looked over at her, leaned in and quickly pecked her on the lips. Pulling back he said "ready?" Amy nodded, a bit wide-eyed. Sheldon opened the door on the driver's side, unlocking his seat belt at the same time. He crawled out of the car and everyone squealed with delight.

"Ya 'all drive now?" Missy marveled. "I can't believe it. Our little Shelly really is growing up" she tried pulling Sheldon into a hug, but he gestured that he had to help Amy out of the car. He went around to her door and opened it. She unclicked her seat-belt and stepped out of the car. Mary came running up to her and pulled her into an embrace "Why sugar, you don't know how glad I am to see you here with my baby. " She pulled back with a huge smile.

"It is so kind of you to invite me here, Mrs. Cooper" Amy nodded, smiling back.

"Why Amy, we are not that formal here. Come on, I want to introduce you to Shelly's brother and sister and Mee-Maw" Mary pulled her in tow by the arm.

"Mother, would you let go of Amy and let me introduce her to everyone?" Sheldon possessively demanded. "Besides, we still have to unload the car and get settled. Go on into the house and we will be right there. I don't want you overwhelming Amy" he continued.

"Sheldon" Amy touching his arm and smiling sweetly to him, "I am not fragile. I am just fine. Why don't we just leave our luggage in back for a little bit and relax with the introductions first" she suggested.

"Are you sure?" he whispered to her. "They can be a bit overbearing."

Amy nodded "I am fine and would not mind meeting everyone and perhaps having a beverage because I feel a bit parched from being in the high air pressure."

"Well, all right." Sheldon took her hand and led her up the steps and upon entering the home, he took her around and introduced her to each person, giving her a couple of minutes to make polite statements and then moved her on to the next person. He waited to introduce her to Mee-Maw last because he wanted her to have more time with Mee-Maw. He just knew they would get along well.

Mee-Maw was a woman that was still lean even at her age. She was sprightly, about 81 or 82, Amy guessed, with a beautiful head of more salt than pepper hair, but still managed to have a bit of pepper throughout. Her hair was thick and well coifed. She was dressed in a sweet little floral dress with a matching cardigan that made Amy think of Bernadette. Granted, her dress was a lot longer than something Bernie would wear, but it still had a similar feel to her style. Amy could see immediately that Sheldon inherited his beautiful blue eyes from Mee-Maw. Her eyes sparkled with mischief and brilliance. Maybe her brilliance was not from books, but it was still there. Immediately Amy was taken with Mee-Maw. She relaxed almost immediately.

Mee-Maw looked Amy up and down and smiled. "My if you are not exactly the image of a girl I knew my little Moonpie would fall in love with" she patted Amy's hand while talking. Leaning closer to Amy she said "I want to thank you for taking care of my Moonpie. I have never seen him so happy" Mee-maw said while glancing over at Sheldon smiling. "He can be quite a handful, but he is pure gold." She continued.

Amy beamed and lovingly looked over at him, which did not go unnoticed by Mee-Maw. "He really is amazing. I have never met such a brilliant man and I never imagined myself meeting anyone like him. He is the most fun person I know" Amy beamed. Turning to Mee-Maw, "You do realize that he adores you and that your opinion matters probably more than anyone in the entire world" Amy continued.

"My dear, he values your opinion even more. I know my Moonpie and I can see it in his eyes. You have made him become a man in the short while he has known you more than all the years he grew up" Mee-Maw continued. "So tell me about yourself."

"There isn't too much to tell. I am a neurobiologist at UCLA, focusing on studies related to addictions. I am an only child and I am afraid my home-life was about as opposite of Sheldon's as one could get. I grew up in a fairly sterile, cold home with beautiful antiques and artwork, but with servants and with parents who had not much of an appreciation for me I am afraid" Amy recounted. "I always wanted a warm and close family, and while I did get to know my cousins, it was not the same. They were all from similar environments and all I can truly say isn't terribly complimentary. I love my family, but they are snobs. I guess you might have called me the oddball of the family always. I never seemed to really fit in, no matter how hard I tried. Like Sheldon, I too didn't grow up with friends. Science was my love and passion and I just didn't relate to people my age."

Mee-maw burst out laughing. She never expected Amy to be so blunt and realized how much like Sheldon she really was. Amy searched Sheldon's face for an explanation, alarmed that she might have said something wrong. Sheldon stepped toward them, "Mee-Maw, isn't Amy the best? She always makes me laugh as well" glancing over at a very appreciative Amy.

"Moonpie, she is so much like you it makes me laugh. I could not have found a more perfect match for you if I tried" Mee-Maw replied. Sheldon beamed "I know." Turning toward his mother he asked "Mother, when is dinner? Do Amy and I have time to bring in our bags and get settled and washed up?"

"I'll help you with the bags, Shelly" George Jr. piped up. He had been watching Amy and found her fascinating. While he could not see what Sheldon would find attractive about her on the exterior, he was fascinated by how much she seemed to fit in right away with Mee-Maw and his mother. He also wondered what it was about her that took a sniveling toddler-like Shelly and turned him into a man. Even he could see the change in Sheldon.

"Thanks, George. That would be nice. I really hate for _my woman_ to have to lift heavy stuff" Sheldon remarked.

Amy turned to Mee-Maw and swooned "_my woman_…I love it when he calls me that." Mee-maw patted her hand and smiled "Yes, I do believe he does consider you his woman. You better beware. He won't take to anyone encroaching on what he believes is his" she warned.

"No worries. No one could even begin to compare to Sheldon. He has nothing to worry about. He is my man and I am just as territorial" Amy confided. Mee-maw seemed pleased by that remark and took her hand in hers and squeezed it, almost as if sealing a deal.

George Jr. and Sheldon brought in the luggage and headed upstairs where Sheldon immediately placed his belongings in his room. "Where ya want her Ma" George, Jr. yelled down, meaning Amy.

"George Jr. bring her things down here. Amy will be staying in the guest room down here" Mary remarked. As Sheldon was coming down the stairs Mary continued "And there will be no sinnin' in my house, got that mister" pointing her finger to him.

Sheldon blushed and replied "Mother!" at the same time that Amy piped up in a factual tone of voice "It isn't an issue, Mrs. Cooper. We understand perfectly and have no problem with abiding by your rules. Sheldon is always a perfect gentleman." Mee-Maw leaned over and whispered to Amy, eyes twinkling "I say Moonpie shouldn't be a monk, though…so I say stir up the pot and sin a little."

Amy dropped her jaw and then laughed, "You are incorrigible! I love it, but in all honesty, Sheldon is always respectful. You all raised him well" Amy boasted on their behalf.

"I was afraid of that" Mee-maw smirked.

"Mee-Maw, do you mind if I steal Amy away and show her to her room" Sheldon interrupted.

"You take your time, Moonpie. Yes, go help her get settled" she winked at Sheldon. Sheldon did a double-take not sure how to interpret what Mee-Maw was implying.

Amy rose and followed Sheldon back to the guest room, which had an en-suite bath. "Wow, my own private bath too?" Amy commented. "I love your Mee-Maw, Sheldon. She is a trip." Amy began to unpack, hanging up her outfits and putting her sleepwear and undergarments in a couple of empty dresser drawers that Sheldon pointed out.

Sheldon nodded. "Amy, she is quite taken with you as well. I can see it in her eyes." When Amy finished unpacking, Sheldon pulled her into his arms. "I may not get to hold you much and I got so used to our night time sleep overs that I am going through withdrawals" he whispered. Leaning down he kissed her. She responded and pulled him in tighter. After a few moments, they pulled apart from the kiss and continued to hug.

"Dinner!" Mary yelled from the kitchen.

"Drat!" Sheldon sighed. Pulling away, he suggested they wash up their hands there and head to the table. Both took turns washing their hands and then he escorted her to the dining room.

"Is there something I can help you with, Mrs. Cooper" Amy offered.

"No sugar, you just set there next to Shelly" Mary replied.

The table was loaded with more platters and bowls than Amy had ever imagined for a group as small as was seated around the table. Sure she had seen large feasts at her parents, but that was with a lot more guests included, and the food never looked as inviting as the food placed before her now. "It looks wonderful" Amy remarked.

"Well don't judge it until you try it" Mary replied.

"So Amy, tell us, how did you and our Shellybean meet" Missy interrupted.

Amy laughed and looked at Sheldon for approval to reveal their story. She relayed how her mother and she had an agreement that she would date once a year and her mother would have to remain silent about her personal life as a result. She then told about how she had a profile on an online dating site and how two of Sheldon's friends had put his profile up on the same site and that they were a match.

"Dating sites are pure hokum" Sheldon piped up, "but in this case, they happened to get it right" Sheldon smiled at Amy. "Raj and Howard entered my information on the website then black mailed me with a dirty sock we found on the roof of my building. We were doing an experiment and Raj was supposed to have disposed of a dirty sock we found up there. When the match showed up and Amy suggested we meet in response to an email they had sent her under my name, they blackmailed me, Raj stating he hid the sock in my apartment and would not reveal where unless I showed up."

"Sheldon did show up though and immediately we felt a kindred spirit connection" Amy stated. He was interested in science as much as I was and seemed to be interested in many of the same things that I was interested in. Although we do have some outside interests that neither of us share together, it was the main and most important interests where we shared a similar passion" Amy continued.

"Yes, I was probably more stunned than Howard and Raj. I actually enjoyed myself upon our meeting and immediately knew that she was more like me than anyone I had ever met" Sheldon continued. "And the rest is history."

"So Shelly, why are you here? I mean, you never come to visit Mom and Mee-Maw on such a whim" George Jr. probed. He was curious what brought Sheldon and Amy to Texas.

Sheldon looked at Amy and she nodded. "Mee-Maw, Mother, Missy and Georgie, Amy and I would like to announce that we are engaged to be married and we have set our wedding date for February 14 at 2 PM at Chapel of Roses in Pasadena, California. We want you all to be there" Sheldon announced.

Screaming with joy, Mary and Missy bounced out of their chairs grabbing Amy and hugging her. Mee-Maw was hugging Sheldon and whispered "well done, Moonpie, well done. I am so proud of you and could not be happier. You made an old lady very happy today."

George sat back and observed. He watched while the women gathered around Amy and gawked at her ring, then move on to Sheldon hugging him. Sheldon still was not comfortable with that kind of touching, but he allowed it willingly with Mee-Maw and his Mother. Missy… he wasn't as thrilled with hugging him, but he allowed it all the same. George finally walked up to Amy and offered his hand "Congratulations. You must be some wild cat to be able to land this guy" he said pointing to Sheldon. "He is one wacko and how you can put up with him is beyond me. You must be a saint."

"She is a saint. She is a combination of a saint and a squirrel" Sheldon beamed. "She is the best."

"Shelly, guess what I bought today?" Missy asked.

"A new car?" Sheldon tried to guess, still not understanding it wasn't an actual question.

"No silly" she said as he pulled him to the doorway that separated the dining room from the living room, pointing up to mistletoe. "It is December and you noticed Mama has all of the decorations out for Christmas" Missy scanned the room. "I think you and Amy need to stand right here" she continued.

Sheldon blushed as Amy walked up and asked, "So what did you buy, Missy?" And Missy pushed Amy next to Sheldon under the doorway and pointed up. Amy's eyes grew wide recognizing what was being implied. "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her" Missy started to chant. Drawing attention with Missy's loud voice, Mary, Mee-Maw and George came to see what all the noise was about. "Kiss her, kiss her, kiss her" she continued to chant. Suddenly, Mary and the others joined in 'kiss her, kiss her, kiss her!"

Amy shrugged and looked up at Sheldon. Sheldon feeling like he had no choice but to relent, muttered "all right" and bent down and kissed Amy a sweet, tender kiss that lasted about 2 Mississippi's.

"You call that a kiss" Missy groaned. "That is a kiss you give Mee-Maw, not a soon to be wife!"

"Shelly, give the woman a proper kiss" Mary pleaded.

Sheldon finally realized he wasn't going to get out of this, so leaned down and pulled Amy tight, giving her a very passionate kiss. Amy responded, of course, but when they pulled away from the kiss several moments later, she had to balance herself from dizziness. Jaws were dropped all around the room, except for Mee-Maw. She winked at Sheldon and said "And that is how it is done!" snapping her fingers. Sheldon and Amy laughed and he pulled her back into a tight hug.


	7. Chapter 7: The Scottish Connection

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Later that evening, were in the guest room, Sheldon located at a small desk in the room, while Amy was on the bed, up against the headboard. Sheldon and Amy both had already retrieved their laptops and were busily checking email. Amy decided to research birth control and look at sample invitations, while Sheldon decided to see if he could dig online and find out more about Amy's family. He could not get over this nagging feeling that there was something that prevented them from treating her right.

Amy narrowed down possibilities about birth control and had already listed out some questions which she sent to Bernadette to forward to the doctor. Next she began searching for invitation ideas. She is somewhat of a traditionalist, but yet she wanted to make it special for Sheldon. That was the challenging part. She wanted it to have a look that he might relate to. Pulling up an invitation that had a chess king and queen in a circle as if a crest on letterhead, but the rest of the invitation was rather traditional, Amy decided to get Sheldon's opinion. "What do you think of this one?"

"Huh?" Sheldon looked up at her. Amy turned her screen toward him and he got up and moved around the desk and looked at what was on her screen.

"What do you think of this one, for our invitation design?"

"Not bad actually, I like it. Did you have any others in mind?" Sheldon inquired.

Amy pulled her laptop back and pulled up another one to show Sheldon. It had a Star Trek logo in the center, again like a logo on the top of letterhead, and then the rest of the invitation was rather traditional. It was boarded with three color stripes on the outside edges. "Well, this one you might like."

"Oh I like that one, yes. I like that one a lot" Sheldon said hopeful that she would agree.

"Really? Well if you like that one, then I will send this to Bernadette and ask her to order these" Amy confirmed.

"You agree then? I thought you might not like them" Sheldon was surprised by her willingness to agree.

"Well, to be honest, I am glad that they are tasteful and I care more about you being happy with them as well. I am sure I could find some that I would like better, but they would probably not please you. I would rather please you than care about my choice. I honestly don't have a problem with these" Amy shrugged.

"You are the best!" Sheldon said, maneuvering so that he could try and pull her into a kiss. Sitting on the bed facing her…just as he held her in his arms and started to kiss her, a "Uh-hem" was heard at the door. Both pulled apart and looked over to see Mary standing there with her hands on her hips. "I told you, no sinnin' in this house!" pointing a finger at Sheldon with a glare to match.

"Mom, we have been researching things for the wedding this entire time and Amy just showed me our invitation choice which made me happy. I was just showing her some appreciation. We are not sinning!" Sheldon retorted while rolling his eyes.

"Don't you roll your eyes at me, Shelly. You may be a grown man, but that is the issue. You are a man and I know how troublesome male hormones can be." Mary continued.

"I will have you know that I treat Amy with respect, Mom. We are doing nothing disrespectful of your house rules either. I don't see what is so bad about me giving my fiancé a kiss now and again" Sheldon argued.

Amy's phone, which was seated on the desk, buzzed during the exchange, but she decided to wait. "Mrs. Cooper, would you like to see the invitation design?" trying to avert further embarrassment.

"Sure, honey, I would love to see what ya'll picked out "Mary said moving closer toward the couple. Sheldon moved further away and back to the desk to continue his research. Amy showed Mary the design. "Well, isn't that…uh…what is that exactly?" Mary looked disturbed.

"Well I tend to be a bit more of a traditional style person, and both Sheldon and I love science, and he loves science fiction. So this is trying to combine all of those loves into one piece of paper" Amy beamed, thrilled that she was pleasing Sheldon.

"Uh-huh. Well I can see that you definitely managed to accomplish your goal" Mary said, eyes still glued to the screen. She couldn't believe what they had picked out but then realized that Amy was doing this for Sheldon. It warmed her heart that he found a girl that loved him so much, she continued "They are going to be just fine and everyone will know that it perfectly represents our Shelly here" Mary said as she patted Amy's hand. "You two really are a perfect match" Mary shaking her head as she walked out of the room pondering the couple.

Sheldon looked up and waited a few minutes, making sure Mary was out of ear shot and then said "Thank you. I know you did that to get her off that embarrassing topic."

Amy smiled, getting up and heading to the bathroom. "Yes. I aim to please" she said teasingly. "Be right back." Amy closed the door to tend to business. While she was in the bathroom her phone buzzed again. Sitting on top of the edge of the desk, Sheldon picked it up and noticed it was from Bernadette. "_I made the GYN appointment for next Thursday at 8:00 AM. I will be by around 7:30 so we can go together…Bernie._" Sheldon misread the message and wondered why on earth Amy had an appointment at the gym.

Amy washed her hands, dried them and opened the door, heading back to the bed and her laptop.

"Amy, your phone buzzed. You have a message from Bernadette. I don't understand why you girls are heading for the gym on Thursday, but I hope you don't hurt yourself there" Sheldon stated while continuing to type.

"The gym?" Amy was puzzled. She walked over and picked up her cell phone to read the message. She started to laugh, causing Sheldon to look up at her.

"What's so funny?"

Holding her phone out to him to read, she said "Read it again."

Sheldon read it again and then it dawned on him that he misread the first time. He turned red. "Oh" was all he could squeak out.

"I know we have not discussed it before, but now that we are planning to marry, I felt I should look into birth control options" Amy confided, while inching her way back to the bed and laptop. "I know we had talked about wanting a child… when we barely knew each other that well…which was pretty foolish in hind sight… but I guess I felt … for a while I would like you to myself. I definitely want to have children with you, but maybe in a couple of years instead?" Amy defended.

"Right, I am with you on the idea of procreation timing" Sheldon nodded, blushing.

"I guess I figured that, while condoms are fine for emergency protection, that it would be a rather tedious and not terribly reliable method for us to consider long-term" Amy was turning more and more pink by the moment.

"Yes, condoms would not be my first choice for continued birth control by any measure" Sheldon concurred.

"I hope…I mean…I hope I am not being too…"Amy started to explain that she was making an assumption they would consummate their marriage but was interrupted by Sheldon.

"Not presumptuous at all. I definitely had hoped we would consummate our union" Sheldon confirmed.

Letting out her breath, Amy began to calm. "Good, well that is what the appointment is about anyway."

"OK, good" Sheldon said and turned back to stare at his computer screen, wanting nothing more than to get off of this embarrassing topic.

Amy feeling pretty much the same, turned to her screen. "I am going to send this design to Bernie and Raj. I think I will ask Raj to see if he can work off of it for other planning" Amy decided to get back onto a less personal topic.

"Sounds good, but tell him not to make it too theme oriented. I mean, you know I love Star Trek, but I also want to feel like I am at my own wedding and not a Comic-Con convention" Sheldon instructed. "Oh, and tell him to make sure we have a build-your-own Sundae bar at the reception."

Amy laughed. She knew Sheldon would never have fun at a wedding reception unless ice cream came with it, "Will do, Dr. Cooper."

Sheldon decided to look up bios on Amy's father. He was certain there should be some online. Typing in Dr. Winston Sherman Fowler yielded a number of results. Sheldon began to go down each link one at a time, gathering information about her father. He was clearly well respected in his field and well educated. He trained not only in the USA, but at both Oxford and Cambridge. He had an impressive set of degrees in both Medicine, Neurosciences, and…_what, really_? _He had a Doctorate in Physics_? Upon reading more about the man, he too had been a prodigy. He graduated from college at age 19 and had his first doctorate degree by 21. Sheldon nodded in respect. He was enjoying reading about her father. He never knew so, because Amy never discussed her father to him. Sheldon looked up, feeling a little guilty…almost as if he were violating a trust with her by researching her family behind her back. Looking over at Amy he was lost in thought, not even aware of how strong a gaze he held upon her.

Amy was across the room, looking at floral arrangements, wedding bouquets and growing tired and weary from the task. It just wasn't something that she enjoyed that much. Feeling eyes gazing upon her she looked up and caught Sheldon staring at her. She smiled and teased "just can't keep your eyes off of me, huh?"

Sheldon blushed and replied "is that a problem Dr. Fowler-Cooper?"

"I love it when you call me that" Amy sighed and briefly looked down at the beautiful ring on her hand. It wasn't that traditional. Yes, it had a diamond in the center, but it was surrounded by two sapphires and two emeralds. To her it sparkled like his eyes and she liked to think the emeralds were her eyes.

"I like the sound of it too" Sheldon commented, smiling back. He looked at the clock on his computer screen and realized it was getting late. "But, before my mother comes down here and starts another embarrassing conversation, accusing us of sinning again, I had better get back upstairs. He lowered the top of his laptop and unplugged it gathering it all up. He left it in a pile on the desk briefly to give Amy a goodnight kiss.

"I wish…"Amy started before Sheldon nodded "I know, me too." Gazing at each other, knowing they wanted to be able to snuggle and sleep together again like before their trip, they finally parted, Sheldon gathering his laptop and accessories and heading out the door. "Love you" he whispered as he shut the door behind him. "Love you back" Amy said loud enough so he could hear her.

Amy got off the bed and changed into her pajamas and went to the bathroom to go through her nightly routine. Upon completion, she returned, gathered her laptop and put it on the desk, shutting it down. She then crawled into bed, took her glasses and put them on the nightstand next to her and turned off the light, hoping to have a night full of dreaming of Sheldon.

Sheldon, as he was heading for the stairs with his laptop ran into his mother. "Oh good, I was just about to make sure you weren't involved in any hanky-panky." Patting his cheek with her hand she looked up at him smiling "But you have always been my good boy. Goodnight Shellybean, I love you" Mary said as she walked toward her room.

"Love you too, Mom", Sheldon climbed up to his room and gathered his pajamas and toothbrush and paste and head to the bathroom. After he completed his bedtime preparations, he went back and brought his laptop over to the bed and continued his research.

Dr. Winston Fowler had a lot of professional information online, but Sheldon had to dig deeper and deeper to learn anything about the man personally. Sheldon did learn that Amy's paternal grandparents were not exactly poor and starving either. They were actually what some might have called jet-setters. They seemed to be acquainted and photographed with a lot of well-known names in the science world as well as in the political arena. They even were photographed with some celebrities. From what Sheldon could tell, they were from families that had long roots in America, possibly as far back as the Mayflower.

Searching further, Sheldon found a site that revealed more about Winston. He married in late 1980 to Iona Amy MacGregor. His only child, Amy Farrah Fowler was born in 1981. Married…"_What? Amy never told me that her father had been married twice_" Sheldon was shocked, reading on…married Jane Anne Jackson in 1982. Sheldon looked away from his screen soaking in this new information.

"I wonder what happened to Iona" Sheldon whispered to himself. Typing in Iona Amy MacGregor into Google, it brought up several entries. He clicked on the first one and started reading. Iona also was very well educated and came from a prominent Scottish clan. Her family had deep roots in Scotland, also were very involved in politics there. She carried a doctorate in Scottish History as well another doctorate in Behavioral Sciences. Looking up from his computer Sheldon commented "Hmmm…must be where Amy gets her interest in Behavioral Sciences." Pondering this for a couple of more minutes, he finally looked back down at the screen and continued to read.

Iona had married Dr. Winston Fowler in late 1980 and gave birth to a daughter, Amy Farrah Fowler, in 1981. She died giving childbirth. Sheldon looked away from the screen and his shoulders dropped. He frowned and clearly was troubled by this information. He wondered if Amy even knew. She had never mentioned it. He felt even more guilt now that he discovered this information because he now possibly had information she didn't have about her lineage. Closing his computer laptop screen for the night he decided he would do more digging tomorrow to see if he could learn more.

Sheldon, after putting his laptop on his dresser, crawled into bed and turned out the light, but his mind was racing. He was starting to wonder if somehow there was a connection with the way Amy was treated by her family and the information he just learned. The more he tried to sleep the more the images of drama began to unfold before him. He knew he was making up these images, but still they would not go away. Finally he decided to begin to recite the periodic table to try and clear his mind. After that, he began on astrological mapping in his mind. Eventually, he was able to fall asleep, but his sleep was not peaceful. He dreamed and dreamed all night long.

_Sheldon and Amy were in Scotland and Amy felt a sense of déjà vu. They visited museums and historical society registries…laughing…kissing…at nights were sleeping together…they stopped at another registry when suddenly_….Sheldon awoke in a sweat, shivering.

The loud burst of the alarm, startled Sheldon even though he was already awake. He rubbed his eyes and looked at the time, realizing that his mother would be in shortly to wake him if he wasn't up and dressed. He used to love being treated like a child and now that he had Amy in his life, being the man he wanted to be for her was far more important. So the mere thought of his mother coming in and treating him like a child made him shudder. He jumped out of bed and gathered up clothing for the day. Opening the door, he ran across to the bathroom and closed the door, locking it and turned on the shower.

Once Sheldon was dressed, he lumbered downstairs, but his mind had already gone back to what he had learned the night before. Lost in thought, he nearly ran into Amy as she had just walked out of her room, dressed and ready for the day. "Good morning, Cuddles" she smiled. "I missed you" she, standing on her toes, whispered into his ear. That managed to put a smile on Sheldon's face and he looked down at her, wrapped her into his arms and pulled her into a tight hug. "I missed you too" he whispered back. "Thank you for brightening my day" he said to her because she really was like a ray of sunshine to him. He managed to erase the troublesome thoughts he had earlier and just enjoyed drinking in the smell of her shampoo and…well Amy. He leaned down and pecked her on the lips and said "We better get in there before Mom comes looking for us" raising his eyebrows up and down a few times.


	8. Chapter 8: The Hotel Getaway

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

"Oh there you two are" Mary eyed them suspiciously since they came in together at the same time to the family kitchen.

"Yes, Sheldon nearly ran me over as I came out of the guest room, but lucky for me in a way, because he was the first person I saw this morning" Amy beamed as she gazed at him lovingly.

Sheldon, catching on to his mother's expression added "yes, I was rather absorbed in a thought and wasn't paying attention when I nearly knocked Amy over. But as it turns out it was a happy circumstance" he returned his loving smile back.

"Well breakfast is ready and it isn't gonna get any warmer" Mary gestured them toward the table.

During breakfast Mary spent some time trying to get to know Amy a bit more. She had not really had much of a chance to speak with her since they arrived. "So Amy, are you and your mother close?"

Amy pondered for a moment and answered "well in some ways I would say yes and other ways no. I think we are closer when I am not around her. See Mother is hard for me to please. If I get straight A's then I am criticized that I think I am too good for everyone and if I get an A- I get criticized I didn't try hard enough to get an A. My life was a lot of flip-flopping on trying to determine what she wanted. I really don't know if I have ever really made her proud…well except for getting engaged to Sheldon, that is. She seemed pleased with that." Amy gave him a huge grin.

Sheldon was listening closely, while looking down at his food playing with it more than eating it. He was hoping that perhaps Amy might reveal something about her mother that could help in the research efforts.

"Oh honey, being a mother is hard work. I am sure she is thrilled with how you turned out" Mary encouraged.

"Perhaps…my parents, neither one, were very warm toward me. I have always felt like an outcast or the black sheep of the family. One day I was going through some old trunk in one of our upper storage rooms and you would have thought I had created a horrible crime" Amy continued.

Sheldon snapped up his head. "Why would they care if you were looking at things in storage" Sheldon posed.

"I…I…I really don't know. It never made any sense to me. All I know is that I have never been allowed in that storage room since."

Sheldon was even more convinced Amy had no idea of their family secret, and he was a man who hated…absolutely hated secrets. How was he going to keep this one? How would he avoid hurting her, or at the very least make her angry with him for snooping into her family history without her permission?

"Sheldon, would you like some tea?" Amy asked. He nodded his consent and she excused herself to make a pot of tea. Mary followed to help her find everything.

When she was out of earshot, Sheldon decided to ask Mee-Maw about what he should do. "Mee-Maw, I think I have done something that might hurt Amy" he whispered.

"What could you have possibly have done to hurt her" she whispered back.

"When I went to Amy's parent's home for Thanksgiving Dinner, where I proposed to her, I got to witness first-hand how poorly they treated her. While they were very kind to me, they treated her as if she were lower than low. I decided last night, while I was in my room, to do some research on her family. I thought it might help me know her better and maybe I would learn why they treat her the way they do. But I found out a deep secret their family has been keeping from her and now I don't know what to do" Sheldon confided.

"Is the secret directly related to Amy?" Mee-Maw asked with concern crossing her face.

"Yes, I found out that the woman who raised her is not her natural born mother, and I don't think she has any knowledge of this information. Her real mother died giving birth to her. She didn't admit to her not being her mother just a few minutes ago when Mom asked her about her relationship with her mom" Sheldon's stress level was rising, knowing Amy could walk in at any moment.

"Well Moonpie, why don't you ask her if she would like to do research with you about her family history when she comes back. Maybe she can help, and it will help you get off of the hook. I don't think what you did was to purposely hurt her and I am sure she will understand if for some reason she isn't interested in doing research. She doesn't strike me as the type to avoid the opportunity to research anything…she has your kind of mind" Mee-maw winked at Sheldon, eyes twinkling.

"Thanks, Mee-Maw. I knew you could help come up with a good solution" Sheldon now appreciatively calmer.

Amy and Mary came back into the room with the tea, Mary still talking. "Sugar, family is so important. Everybody's gotta know their roots. Family roots are so important."

"Amy, would you like me or both of us to do some research on your family? Do you already have a family tree?" Sheldon offered, hoping she would agree.

"I guess I never thought about it" Amy shrugged. The more that she pondered it though, the more it started to seem like a good idea. After all, eventually she and Sheldon may have children and it was only fair they should know their heritage. "I guess knowing one's heritage isn't a bad thing to know. I never really explored mine before. It was never encouraged in our family." Amy frowned. Now that she thought about it, it seems odd that her family never seemed to encourage such matters. Most families like to have at least some sort of knowledge about their history. "Sheldon, yes, I think I would like for us to learn more."

"Well sugar, I think knowing your roots is a good thing" Mary said, nodding her head. "I mean…after all…that history makes us who we are in a way. Just like Shelly here, he got a lot of his smarts from Mee-Maw. She is one sharp cookie and, while she never had any proper schoolin', I just know if she had, it would have been discovered that she was 'special', just like Shelly."

"Mary, now you quit. You know I am nothin' like that" Mee-Maw objected.

"Mrs. Cooper… and, do you mind if I call you Mee-Maw?" Amy said as she turned to address Mee-Maw.

"I wouldn't have you call me anything else" Mee-Maw nodded consent.

"Well, Mee-Maw, when I first met you yesterday, I immediately sensed an intelligence in you that was bright and far above normal. I think Mrs. Cooper is right…that Sheldon did get his intelligence from you." Amy was sincere in her statement.

"Mee-Maw, nothing would please me more than to know that I owe all of my accomplishments to you" Sheldon beamed.

"Well now that that is settled, my point being is that Amy should know her history as well, and by the way, sugar, please call me Mama Mary instead of Mrs. Cooper. Mrs. Cooper is far too formal for a family member to call me. You're now gonna be my daughter, so that would make me another Mama to you" Mary insisted.

Amy smiled and nodded consent "OK, Mama Mary. I like knowing I have a warm Mama finally."

Sheldon was relieved to learn that Amy would be willing to let him dig into her history. He felt he avoided a really sticky situation. He nearly wanted to praise the deity that he didn't believe in for helping him avert a possibly unpleasant circumstance, and he appreciated Mee-Maw's bright mind coming up with the suggestion. He leaned over and gave his Mee-Maw a small kiss on the cheek. She winked back at him knowing he just managed to avoid a potentially troublesome situation.

"So what do you two have planned for the day" Mary interrupted his train of thought.

"I think I might take Amy into town and we can maybe enjoy a nice lunch there" Sheldon was at a loss because he hadn't actually thought about what they would do.

"I would enjoy that. Maybe we can look and get ideas for the wedding" Amy enthused.

"Would you like to join us?" Amy turned to Mee-Maw and Mama Mary asking?

"Oh sugar, you two kids run along. Mee-Maw and I want to just relax and enjoy the quiet for a while. Missy had to work and Georgie is back at home now with his family having their own dinner today" Mary replied.

Sheldon was relieved because he wanted Amy all to himself. "Amy, how about if we plan to leave in about an hour. There is some work I brought with me that I need to complete and send off and then we can leave and I am yours the entire day" Sheldon suggested.

"Actually that is perfect, because I also wanted to finish sending Bernadette an email and look at what she may have sent me before we leave" Amy concurred. "Just come on to the guest room when you are ready."

Sheldon smiled and nodded and ran to head up the stairs to his room. Amy waited until he was out of ear-shot, even with his Vulcan hearing, and demanded "I want to do the dishes. You and Mee-maw enjoy a cup of coffee and the sunshine on your sun porch and I won't take no for an answer" putting up her hand avoiding any resistance "it is the least I can do for imposing on you."

"Well now, isn't that sweet. If you wish, that would be mighty kind of you, and you are family now so don't ever feel it is an imposition" Mary smiled and gave her a quick hug. Mee-Maw and Mary topped off their cups and headed to the sun porch as Amy began to clear the table.

Once the dishes were washed and put away, she head to the guest room to freshen up before Sheldon would join her.

Sheldon took down his laptop and began to make notes of what he learned so far. He needed to map out the information in his mind better. While he understood it, he wanted to make more sense of it. He also sat and pondered how he was going to inform Amy of what he learned. This was information that could shake her to the core. He worried about her reaction. He wished he had his whiteboard with him. Sure he had a portable one he had packed for the trip, but it wasn't the same. This was a problem that needed the full size of his whiteboard. Maybe learning more about Jane, the woman that raised Amy, might help. Looking at the clock on his laptop and his watch, he realized any research on Jane would have to wait until that evening. Closing his laptop and hiding under his bed both his whiteboard and laptop, he jumped off the bed and stopped by the bathroom on the way. Looking at his reflection in the mirror, he dabbled on some aftershave. He the descended down to the guest room.

Amy had taken time to curl her hair and apply some light make-up. She had changed into a different outfit. It was new and seemed to show off her form a little bit more. She wanted to dazzle Sheldon.

_Knock, knock, knock,_ "Amy." _Knock, knock, knock,_ "Amy." _Knock, knock, knock_, "Amy."

Amy answered the door and smiled at Sheldon. "I am all yours, just let me grab my purse and jacket" she said turning to get them. She rejoined him at the door and they took their exit. Closing the front door, Sheldon took Amy into his arms and gave her a passionate kiss. When they pulled apart, "I can't believe how much I have missed you, Amy" he whined. "I know I am seeing you in the house and all, but it isn't the same. I want to hold you next to me and snuggle in bed at night."

Amy was touched, reaching up and lightly caressing his cheek "I love you so much. I want you with me too. It really is painful, but we will be home in a few days…"

"I know, but that is a long time" Sheldon pushed. Pulling her into another hug, he finally let go and they climbed down the stairs, jumped into the car, fastened their seat belts, and took off toward town. "I have an idea" Sheldon announced, eyes glistening with excitement.

"And what would that be?" Amy smiled at his enthusiasm.

"What if we were to rent a hotel room for a couple of days that we can retreat to during the day" he suggested, eyes twinkling with delight at his idea.

"Um…do you think that is such a good idea? I mean…I would love it…but what if your mother finds out" Amy wasn't sure what he was actually proposing, but she wouldn't object completely.

"Well, she won't find out if we rent one that is about 30 minutes away from here. I just want us to be alone and to be able to snuggle in bed together" Sheldon sighed.

"And probably want to play a little bit of baseball, too…I am guessing" Amy teased.

Sheldon smirked and said "well…I wouldn't object to some baseball."

"Well it is a tempting offer. Okay, let's do it, but we better at least stop by a couple of stores so we can be honest and say we went shopping" Amy suggested.

"Deal! We can rest for a bit, then shop and rest some more then head home" Sheldon suggested.

"Sounds good to me." Amy smiled at the thought of how Sheldon had changed from a mysophobe afraid to even touch anyone, to a man that was now having a hard time keeping his hands off of her. She delighted in the thought.

Checking into a nicer hotel a few towns away, Sheldon and Amy opened the door to a beautiful suite. It had a great view of a pretty little park across the street and was very quiet and peaceful. Tossing her purse on a small desk in the room, Amy went over to the window to look out at the park. Sheldon came up behind her and wrapped his arms around her, just enjoying the closeness. Amy turned and faced him, pulling him down to a passionate kiss. Somehow they managed to make their way back over to the bed and fall onto the bed. Sheldon started to move his hands toward Amy's chest and began to unbutton her cardigan. "You wear far too many layers, Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper" he complained.

Amy giggled at his impatience. He finally managed to pull the cardigan off of her shoulders and began to unbutton her floral blouse. "Amy, when are you going to go see your doctor again?" he asked.

Amy pulled away surprised by his question. "I believe on Thursday, but I can check my phone if you want to make sure. Why?"

Timidly, he replied "well, once you are on birth control…."

"Sheldon, there is nothing more that I would love than to make mad, passionate love to you right here and now, but we agreed to wait until the wedding, didn't we? I mean I thought it was your desire to wait."

"I know, I know. I know I should wait, but it is getting harder and harder to wait. I want you so much" he said pulling her into another passionate kiss.

When they pulled away, Amy could not even get her breath much less voice back very quickly. He totally took her breath away.

Sheldon managed to unbutton the last button on her blouse and opened it slightly, revealing an emerald green lace bra. "Someone has been doing some lingerie shopping" he teased as he leaned to nuzzle in her neck. Sheldon worked lower toward her collar bone kissing Amy and used one hand to cup her breast. Amy writhed in ecstasy knowing that he wanted her so much.

Sheldon ground against her, revealing his arousal to Amy. This only intensified her desire for him. She wanted him so desperately. Her hands began to travel along his chest further and further toward his belt. Suddenly a picture of Mama Mary flashed in her head and she stopped and pulled herself up into a sitting position.

"What's wrong" Sheldon asked, startled by her movement.

Amy took a minute to calm down. "Nothing, it's just…your mother's face flashed across my mind… and all I could think of…. was her pointing her finger at you this morning and…"

"Drat. Of course, I know what you were thinking" Sheldon said with disappointment. He began to pull Amy's blouse back together and button it back up. "Let's just snuggle under the covers" he suggested.

'I'd like that Sheldon. I want you so bad, but I also want it to be right" Amy explained.

"Shhhh…I know. I feel the same way. It's just that you are such a vixen, Amy. I love you so much and want you so much. But I agree, it has to be right." The couple crawled under the covers and wrapped their arms around each other, getting lost in their thoughts. Amy giggled when she felt evidence of Sheldon's arousal still prominent. "What's so funny" he asked.

"Maybe you need to splash cold water on your face" she suggested. "Not that I mind…mind you…I sort of get turned on by it" Amy admitted, nodding south.

Sheldon blushed and shrugged. "Well, if it keeps you in want of me, then I guess you will just have to get used to it" he teased, while pulling her closer to him.

They cuddled and just enjoyed being in each other's arms for at least another two hours when Amy finally realized it was getting close to lunch time. "Cuddles, maybe we should go find a place to eat and do a little shopping and come back here after" she suggested.

Sheldon realized his stomach was hungry, although he really didn't want to move "I guess, it just has been so nice…."

"I know. But if we take an hour for lunch and another hour for shopping we can come back and cuddle a couple of more hours before we need to head back to your home, unless you want to call your mother and tell her we won't be home for dinner…in which case we can stay here longer and get a quick bite on our way back to your house. But we should get back before 8, don't you think?

"Yes" Sheldon rallied himself up off of the bed and started to straighten out his clothes "I agree. I will call Mom and tell her we may not make it back for dinner and to not count on us for supper. I will make sure she knows we will be back by 8 at the latest." He pulled out his phone to look up what was a likely place for them to lunch, deciding he would call his mother while they were at one of the stores. He figured Amy would be busy looking at things he wasn't that interested in so it would give him a chance to make the call.

Leaving the hotel, they drove into a quaint part of the town. Sheldon parked and they walked across the street to a small, family-owned little café. It was actually a lot cuter on the inside than the out. They were seated in a Sheldon-approved location in the restaurant. Both studied the menu and placed their orders. "Sheldon, this is so cute" Amy said as she looked around the interior. "When we were on the outside, I would have never pictured it to be this charming on the inside."

"I concur. I was rather worried when we pulled up and I saw the exterior, but am relieved to know that it redeemed itself when we entered the premises" Sheldon smiled. "So what kind of shopping do you want us to do?"

"I was thinking we could perhaps look at florists, which by the way, I would like to buy your mother and Mee-Maw some flowers for their hospitality…and I think I would just like to window shop and get a sense of where you grew up" Amy shrugged.

"Well, there isn't much to look at, but sure, if you want."

The waitress brought their meals and the two of them enjoyed a leisure lunch. Paying the bill that included the tip, they left to leave. Heading further up the street, they begin to look at various stores. When they ran across a florist, Amy went in to begin to look at various arrangements and how to spoke to the florist about how to set a tone or mood with flowers. She actually was given a full lesson on the matter, boring Sheldon who decided to duck outside and make the call to his mother.

"Sheldon, let's just head back to the room. I think I have seen enough for today" Amy suggested. She was getting rather tired and just wanted to _be _with Sheldon.

Sheldon had them practically run back to the car and before you could blink an eye they were parking the car at the hotel and heading back to the room. They both immediately tossed their shoes aside and crawled under the covers and wrapped their arms around each other. Within minutes, they were sound asleep.


	9. Chapter 9: Iona's Daughter

_Disclaimer: __I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

_Author's Note: Thank you tsotb, kikri, and guest for reading my story and leaving a review. I am so happy you are all enjoying the story. Thank you for your kind words. Since none of you have accounts, I was unable to write you individually. But thank you again._

Amy stirred awake and looked over at Sheldon and smiled. She ran her fingers through his hair and then leaned up and gave him a small peck on the lips. He rolled over onto his back, but didn't wake. She quietly moved to the nightstand to retrieve and put on her glasses. She then looked at the clock, which read 7:00 PM. "Sheldon!" she exclaimed, while shaking him.

"Danger, Danger" Sheldon sat upright shouting. He rubbed his eyes and then looked around the room. At first he forgot where he was. He then turned and saw Amy. "Amy?" he questioned.

"Sheldon, it's already 7 o'clock and we told your mother we would be home no later than 8. We still have to grab something to eat on the way back as well, unless you want to go without any dinner" Amy said while standing in front of the mirror adjusting her clothing and frowning at the wrinkles. Feeling a bit like a kid caught with her hand in the cookie jar, she was certain that Mama Mary would not look too pleased when they arrived home. Quickly she checked the closet to see if there might be an iron in the hotel room. She was fortunate that there was. "Sheldon, I need to iron my blouse and skirt. They got really wrinkled when we were sleeping and your mother will know what we were up to and probably think far worse" Amy commented.

Unbuttoning her blouse and taking her skirt down over her hips she pulled out the iron and plugged it in. She was standing in nothing but her green emerald matching underwear trying to iron her clothing when Sheldon rounded the corner to where she was located. His eyes bulged out and his throat went dry. He tried to avert his eyes, but could not take them off of her. He had seen her bra, only briefly, but he had never seen her so unclothed before. It certainly was not helping him keep from becoming aroused. He decided to check his clothing to see how badly wrinkled they were to keep his mind off of wanting to ravish Amy right then and there.

"Do you think mine are too wrinkled?" he asked keeping his eyes on the ironing motion she was making pressing her clothing. Temptation got the better of him and he looked at her again. This time there was no stopping it, he went into full arousal.

Amy looked up at him and felt that his pants could use a touch up, but that the T-shirt was fine. It had enough polyester content in it that it didn't wrinkle easily. "Your pants could use a touch up, but otherwise you are okay. Slip them off and I will press them" Amy offered.

"Um….Amy" Sheldon started to try and explain that he was very aroused by her standing in her underwear, but was too embarrassed to remove his pants at the moment.

"What? We don't have all day, we still have to eat and it takes at least 30 minutes to get back to your house. I am almost done with my clothes, just give me your pants and I will touch them up. It won't take me but a minute" Amy oblivious to what he was going to say.

"But…Amy…with you…" Sheldon tried to explain. Amy looked up with a look of "what?!"

"Amy, I am struggling right now with you standing there in your underwear…." hoping she would catch on.

Amy finally started to realize where he might be going and shrugged. "So what? It isn't like I have never seen a penis before" she said directly, even surprising herself.

"Okay, but I am just warning you that…"Sheldon began unbuckling his belt and opening up his pants to pull down.

"That you are in full arousal?" Amy inquired, her cheeks betraying her. She may have sounded confident and like it was no big deal, but it was a very big deal to Amy. She had never even seen Sheldon without a shirt, much less stripped down to his underwear. Now she was not only going to get to see him in his underwear, but in full glory. She decided that since her skirt was done, she slipped it on over her hips and continued to touch up her blouse trying very hard not to peek.

Sheldon slipped his pants down and stepped out of them and handed them to her. He kept his eyes on her full time, blushing. She noticed movement toward her and looked out at his hand, taking the pants from him. She could not help but look at him and her eyes widened. She had no idea…quickly she looked back down at the task at hand, trying to avoid looking at him.

Upon finishing her blouse she pulled it back on, leaving it partially open, and continued ironing Sheldon's pants. She would glance sideways now and again at his briefs, then jerk her head right back to looking down at the ironing board.

Sheldon went over to the sink, pulling off his two layers of shirts so they would not get wet, and started to splash cold water on his face. He was trying very hard to cool down. But as he was cooling down, Amy was starting to get more and more aroused. She could not believe how well built and endowed he was. She was struggling to keep her focus.

Sheldon dried off and pulled his shirts back on. Amy had just completed touching up his slacks and handed them back to him, her face showing she indeed had peeked.

"You peeked, didn't you?" Sheldon could not help but ask. Part of him actually was flattered and another part a bit embarrassed.

"Um…yeah…the heroine always peeks" Amy cheekily replied, blushing.

After he was fully clothed, he drew her into a kiss. Pulling away he commented "good girl!" making both of them laugh. Amy finished putting the iron and board away and quickly buttoned up her blouse. "We have to go. Look it is nearly 7:30" she remarked. Dashing to grab her purse and the flowers she had earlier bought, they quickly left the hotel room, not realizing that she had left her cardigan in the room.

Sheldon decided that they would just explain that they were getting a lesson from the florist that delayed them from some other stores, making their schedule thrown off. They would just grab something from his mother's house to eat so they could keep their promise to be home by 8.

Upon arriving, Mary and Mee-Maw were in the living room watching TV when they opened the door. Amy went straight over to the two women and handed them the flowers "I wanted to buy you these to thank you for welcoming me into the family." She leaned down and gave each woman a small peck on the cheek as she did.

"Well aren't you sweet" Mary replied. "Sugar, we are delighted that you are part of our family and even more thrilled with you putting up with our Shellybean."

Sheldon moved over to both women and gave each one a peck on the cheek as well and then mock glared at his mother for her comment. "Excuse me, she is lucky to be marrying Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper," he boasted while bursting his chest forward. He then wrapped his arm around Amy's waist and continued, "But I am also lucky to be marrying Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler, soon-to-be Cooper" he smiled and pecked her cheek as well.

"Let me just go put these in a vase" Mary said getting up and grabbing Mee-Maw's flowers, joining them with hers.

Mom, Amy and I didn't get a chance to eat. We were getting quite an extensive lesson on floral meanings, arrangements, decorations, and that threw our entire schedule off. Do you think you could put together a couple of plates of something small for each of us to eat?" Sheldon asked.

Mary warily looked at him, then nodded. She stepped out of the room and wound her way back to the kitchen.

"Sheldon, I think I want to see if Bernie or Raj sent me anything I need to be looking at. Why don't you spend some time with Mee-Maw and I will be out in a couple of minutes" Amy suggested.

"Okay, but don't be too long. Mother will be back with your meal" Sheldon replied.

Mee-Maw had been carefully noticing both Sheldon and Amy. She was a very observant woman. Nothing got past her. "So Moonpie, come sit next to me" she said patting the couch.

Sheldon moved to sit next to her. "Mee-Maw, so tell me, you like her don't you?" he pleaded.

"Moonpie, I adore her. I could not have asked for a more perfect woman for you. But what is even more important is how much you adore her and I can see it in your eyes and face. You are totally head over heels in love, aren't you?"

Sheldon nodded his head. "I never thought I would ever fall in love, Mee-Maw. It wasn't even on my radar. Then I met Amy and…"

"Everything changed?" Mee-Maw suggested. Sheldon nodded his head in agreement. "Moonpie, you are fortunate your mother isn't as observant as an old woman like I am."

"What do you mean, Mee-Maw?" truly baffled about what she might have to say.

"Well, when you and your girl left the house this morning, she was wearing her cardigan and she returned without it. I am guessing you two found a daytime home away from home to do a little hanky-panky away from your mother?" Mee-Maw grilled.

Sheldon blushed a bright red, betraying any chance he might have had to defend himself. "Mee-Maw, it isn't what you think. Amy and I have decided to wait until our wedding night" Sheldon tried to explain "but we just need some time to cuddle and be together without being always accused of sinning" he continued.

Mee-Maw nodded her head "I know Moonpie and I don't need to know all of your intimate details. I honestly think you did a wise thing. I am glad you and Amy can spend some time smooching and well just getting familiar with each other" she winked knowing he would catch her drift. "You kids are old enough to have experienced many things in life and the fact that you have waited this long, well it is darn right impressive. I am proud of you and there is nothin' either of you kids could do to disappoint your Mee-Maw. Tell Amy to enjoy your daytime retreats and that Mee-Maw understands. I don't want that girl feelin' guilty about nothin', nor you for that matter."

"Thank you Mee-Maw" Sheldon said and leaned over and kissed her cheek. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"My, my, you have really grown up, Moonpie. You used to tell me you loved me when you were a wee one, but then once you went off to college, well, I guess you thought it was too mushy to say words like that. You actually grew rather proud and a bit cold. But I can see I have my Moonpie back…the sweet Moonpie that was brilliant and proud, but loving and compassionate. I must thank Amy for that. I know it has a lot to do with her."

"You are right, Mee-Maw. She brought back to life a part of me that died a long time ago. I don't know really why it died, probably from all the bullying, but she brought back life and love in my life" Sheldon confided. Even he knew he was a changed man because of Amy. She made him feel, well everything. She was his sun in the morning and his bright moon in the evening. She was more to him than, dare he say it, Physics even. Physics was always his love and passion, but she is even more than that to him.

"Mee-Maw, I have always loved science, as you know, but I have learned through Amy that people in our lives mean so much. Leonard helped me understand that a lot too. He has been like a brother to me and I love him like a brother. But Amy brought life back to me and she brought back a love for family and people. She sees things so wonderfully and has the best sense of humor" he would have gone on, but he could see that Mee-Maw's eyes were cast elsewhere. Turning he looked and saw Mary had been standing there listening to him, holding two plates of food in her hands. He blushed hoping she didn't hear the earlier parts of his conversation with Mee-Maw.

"Well, Shellybean, I think I won't need to be buyin' much sugar for a solid month with all that saccrine runnin' off your tongue" Mary teased, while she winked at the same time. "It sure is nice hearin' you talk about lovin' your family and my, my, my don't you love Amy!" Mary handed him both plates.

"Thanks, Mom. You are the best!" Sheldon smiled while taking the plates from his mother's hand. His Vulcan hearing could hear a door close and the soft padding of footsteps moving closer toward them. Amy came around the corner and joined the family.

"Did you have a nice time visiting with Mee-Maw?" Amy asked him.

"Yes, I always have a good time with her" Sheldon boasted. He handed Amy a plate of food.

"Thank you Mama Mary. I appreciate you providing us a meal when we rudely told you we would not be back in time for one." Mary smiled and waved "it's nothin'."

"So do you have any updates for me on the wedding plans?" he detoured the conversation.

"Actually, yes. Bernadette managed to order the invitations and they should arrive in two weeks. She put a rush order on them since we will need to begin addressing them soon and sending them out. Raj promised he could work with the theme, but not make it too theme oriented per your suggestion. He said he could make it still dreamy for a wedding, yet in keeping with your wishes, whatever that means" Amy updated.

"I think we will need to have drawings. You know Raj, he can be…"

"A bit girly?" Amy laughed, making Sheldon laugh as well.

"Raj..now has he finally admitted that he is a homosexual" Mary piped up.

Her comment just made Sheldon and Amy laugh all the more. "No, no, not really. He still is looking for a girlfriend, but he and Stuart, who owns the comic bookstore that Sheldon frequents, have bonded over their single-men status. I think Stuart even moved in with Raj to help out with Stuart's tight budget" Amy informed.

"Well that boy is a sweet one, but a confused one if you asked me" Mary commented.

Growing weary of the conversation, and wanting to get back to researching Amy's family, Sheldon suggested "Amy, if I bring my laptop down here, would you like for us to start going through some of your family history?"

"Sure" Amy replied.

"I went through some last night and want to bring you up to date on what I learned and where I think we should look next" Sheldon continued.

"Mom, I am going to go read in my room. I am behind on my Bible study and want to catch up" Mary turned to Mee-Maw and announced.

"All right, dear. Enjoy learning what the Lord has to reveal to you" Mee-Maw replied.

"Goodnight Mama Mary" Amy said simultaneously with Sheldon "Goodnight Mom." Mary waved goodnight to both as she took her leave.

"Sheldon, let me get my laptop since it is down here. We can look things up on it. I will be right back" Amy dashed back to the guest room to get her laptop. As she entered the room, her cell phone rang. It was Penny. She decided to take the call.

Sheldon in the meantime was trying to figure out how to break the news about her mother to Amy.

"Moonpie, how are you going to tell her what you ran across?" Mee-Maw piped up as if reading his mind.

"I honestly don't know. I suppose I could walk through the websites I went to and suddenly discover the site that had the information about her birth?" Sheldon proposed.

"Oh Moonpie, you could do that, but I think hearing what you found from your lips will mean more to her. Just be kind and gentle and explain methodically how you stumbled across the information and take it from there" Mee-Maw counter-proposed.

Sheldon knew Mee-Maw's suggestion was probably the best one, but he didn't like it. It made him vulnerable.

"Moonpie, man up! I can see you are afraid to tell her, but you must. It must come from you because she will take it better than if she had stumbled across it in a cold computerized environment" Mee-Maw warned.

Sheldon nodded in agreement "okay, I will tell her. I am going to go get my whiteboard and laptop. If she returns, let her know I will be right down. Mee-Maw, would you mind if we were able to…"

"Have some privacy?" Mee-Maw completed his sentence. It was uncanny how she could read his thoughts. "Of course, love. I am tired and want to retire for the night anyway." Mee-Maw rose and kissed him on the cheek just as Amy walked back into the room, laptop in hand.

Amy kissed Mee-Maw on the cheek goodnight and looked around for a spot to plug in her computer. "Penny called just as I got into the room" Amy explained the reason for her delay. "She and Leonard had a bit of an argument, but things are okay between them now. She just wanted to see how our visit was going and to tell me about some new shoes she found that will match her gown."

Sheldon barely listened. He knew anything Penny had to say was likely tedious. He waited until he heard Amy had quit talking and decided now was the time to broach the sticky subject that awaited. "Amy, since I did a lot of research last night after I went upstairs, I thought maybe I could show you what I discovered and where we should go from here" Sheldon started to explain. "Give me a couple of seconds and I will be right back. I want to get my whiteboard and laptop."

"Sure, Cuddles." Amy busied herself looking at more emails while Sheldon head up the stairs to get his things. Returning a couple of minutes later, he plugged in the laptop, and tried to mentally prepare himself for what was to come. He prayed under his breath "if you do exist, unknown deity, please help her understand and be open to what I have to reveal."

Sheldon pulled up two webpages and then minimized the browser. He wanted to show her his whiteboard and use that as his approach. Clearing his throat, Amy eyed him and realized something bad must have come up in his research based on his behavior.

"Sheldon, did you find out something that you think I might not be ready to hear?" Amy inferred, her intuition getting the best of her. She studied him as his face went through all sorts of expressions.

"Amy, as you know, yesterday I offered to help you explore your family history. It was with your agreement that I was curious and started to do some research. I never meant to pry or do anything without you being right by my side, learning everything as I do."

Amy nodded in comprehension, giving him approval to continue.

"I will admit, part of me was curious about your history, mainly because I witnessed first-hand how your family treat you. See, I find you to be the most beautiful and wonderful person in the world and you have a very loving heart. To see them be so condescending and critical of you, well it was breaking my heart."

Amy nodded, her eyes growing wider, anxiety rising within her because she knew Sheldon well and when he tells things in such a logical fashion, it usually meant that something unpleasant was about to follow.

Pulling his board in front of him, Sheldon looked down at it and began to relay what he discovered. "I started with your father, who I might say has very impressive credentials. It seems that he comes from a long line of American-heritage and social status. His parents and he both have a substantial wealth profile. They also have a lot of political connections."

Amy was a little surprised by some of the information, but not terribly intrigued. It seemed to calm her nerves slightly. "Okay, I guess that doesn't concern me too much. I have never been one that cares much about material things" Amy revealed. She nodded for him to continue.

"You probably inherited your love for Neuroscience through your father who not only was Doctor of Medicine and well known cardiologist, but also carried Doctorate degrees in Neuroscience and Physics. Perhaps he bonded with me because our joint appreciation for the field of Physics." Sheldon continued. "Anyway, your father is quite accomplished. He attended both Oxford and Cambridge besides his USA education at both Harvard and Stanford Universities. He also did a residency at Mass General Hospital."

"Yes, I knew Father had a fairly well respected background, although I am surprised to learn about his additional Doctorate degrees. He never, even when he knew of my interest in Neurobiology, ever told me that he had a Doctorate in the field. I wonder why he never wanted to share that with me?" Amy frowned, her shoulders slumped at the realization.

Sheldon took a deep breath. He knew he would have to get to the personal area next and already felt bad for Amy. He could see she was feeling a bit forlorn about the information he just presented and now he was going to be treading even deeper waters. "Amy, I am very uncomfortable with this next area that I want to reveal. I want you to know that I was not snooping on your family, but was trying to help you know more about your family."

Amy started to get nervous, "uh, o-okay. Proceed."

"Your father married Iona Amy MacGregor in 1980" Sheldon began, deciding factual route might work best.

"Wait, what? Father was married before?" Amy was stunned at this information.

"Yes. And she gave birth to a baby girl…."Sheldon continued.

Wide-eyed, Amy could tell by the look on Sheldon's face that she was that baby girl. Her heart sank. Putting up her hand she looked away from him, upset he knew this about her before she did, "let me guess and that baby girl was named Amy Farrah Fowler. Is that what you were leading to?" Amy turned and looked him straight in the eye, but her face was not distraught. Her eyes reflected anger.

Sheldon had not seen her so angry before. The darkness of her glaring eyes frightened him. "Y-y-yes, Amy, I am so sorry that I stumbled across this information, but your birth mother was not Jane, but Iona."

"No, I don't accept it. Why would they have kept that from me?" Amy demanded.

"I-I-I don't know, Amy. I honestly have no idea why they would not have revealed this to you, but I assure you that we will learn more together to find out why. I won't look at anything more without you" Sheldon tried to redeem himself.

"You have done quite enough, Sheldon. You accuse my mother of not being my mother. I can't believe you want to hurt me this way" Amy ran out of the room to the guest room, slamming the door behind her and locking it once inside. She then tumbled onto the bed and began to weep.

Sheldon stood, fists curled, blinking multiple times. He could not move. He was paralyzed with terror that he just hurt the woman he loved more than life itself.


	10. Chapter 10: The Scandalous Rendezvous

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Mee-Maw's room was next to the guest room and the slamming of the door to the room jolted Mee-Maw from her reading. She opened her door and immediately made her way to the living room. She found Sheldon just standing in the middle of the room, blinking wildly in multiples of threes, hands fisted and straight as a board. She became alarmed because she had a feeling that things did not go well when Sheldon told Amy the truth about her mother. Inching closer to Sheldon she wrapped her frail arms around him "Moonpie, she needs time to absorb this. She is angry at her family, not you. She will forgive you. She loves you and she knows you would never hurt her on purpose."

Sheldon began to snap out of his paralysis with tears welled up in his eyes. Falling down his cheeks he began to sob.

Mee-Maw helped him over to the couch and wrapped her arms around him, letting him sob on her shoulder. After being comforted by Mee-Maw for about an hour, Sheldon finally realized that she must be getting tired "Mee-Maw, thank you. You really should get to bed. It is late and I will be fine. I know Amy loves me and she knows I love her so I think you were right. She will realize that I didn't mean to hurt her and will be okay in the morning. Go ahead, go to sleep. I will be fine."

"Of course you will, Moonpie. Amy will need you and you will have to be strong for her. You are showing me you have the mettle to give her the strength she is going to need. You are gonna be okay, Moonpie. Just trust me on this one" Mee-Maw kissed him on the cheek and added "well goodnight, Moonpie. Don't let this disrupt your sleep. You will need to be strong." With that she took her leave and head down the hall.

Sheldon tried to determine whether he should go see Amy, but found that his feet were still planted where he was at. His mind was racing trying to figure out how to convince Amy that he was there for her and that they were in this together. He decided to "give her space" as Penny would say. Once she processed the information in her mind, he was certain that things would be better in the morning. With that, Sheldon head back upstairs to his room.

As Mee-Maw neared her room, she could hear Amy's sobs coming through the door to the guest room. It broke her heart that Amy had been lied to all these years by her family and quite frankly didn't understand it. But she also knew the decisions adults make can be difficult and sometimes things just get out of hand. She also ached for Sheldon. She knew that his heart was breaking right now. Determined she went up to the guest room door and knocked rapidly.

Amy heard the knocking at her door and knew it wasn't Sheldon's usual knock. She wasn't sure whether to answer or not, but she sat up, wiped the tears from her cheeks and went to the door. She was surprised to find Mee-Maw standing on the other side.

"Do you mind if I come in for a couple of minutes, dear?" Mee-Maw asked .

"Of course, please come in" Amy's curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Amy dear, Moonpie told me about your family history and he feels just awful about finding out the information without you being by his side. He never wanted to uncover such a thing before you knew about it. But dear, you know that as a scientist, you are gonna come across things that just are waiting to be found" Mee-Maw started.

Amy's eyes rimmed again with tears. She felt bad that others were learning about this information and she still had not had a chance to process it, but she didn't want to offend Mee-Maw either.

"Dear, I know you have not had time to process this" Mee-Maw had a knack for reading minds. "Moonpie hasn't even really processed it and is devastated to have hurt you. I know you love him and he loves you more than life itself. Sweetheart, don't let this come between the two of you. Lean on him, and he will be the strength you need. I know Moonpie doesn't always seem like he is very strong, but he is a lot stronger than anyone I know. And he wants to be there for you. Can you find it in your heart to forgive him?"

Amy's couldn't hold the tears any longer. Her body shook with sobs and she reached out to Mee-Maw. For a second time that evening, Mee-Maw lent a shoulder for sobs. She softly caressed Amy's hair as Amy let out all the hurt. Mee-Maw's eyes brimmed with tears of her own, seeing two of her grandchildren in such pain. She considered Amy hers now as much as she did Missy and the others. She rocked Amy back and forth and just sat quietly until Amy was ready to pull away.

"Thank you Mee-Maw. It is just hard to realize that your family has been lying to you your entire life and are still lying and have not told you the truth. If Sheldon had not been so enthusiastic to help me find out my family history, I might have never known" Amy tried to explain.

"I know, Sugar, and I can't even fathom what reasons they may have for doing so. But you do understand that Moonpie was just trying to please you and help you, don't you?" Mee-Maw pushed.

"Yes….yes. I love him, Mee-Maw and forgive him. This isn't his fault and I know that. I was just so hurt. I shouldn't have lashed out at him the way I did. I hope he can forgive me. I'm embarrassed that I handled the information so poorly. I usually am much more in control than that "Amy blushed.

"Sugar, for Heaven's sake, don't go blammin' yourself for your reaction. Honestly, I would have been spittin' bullets had someone I trusted my whole life lied to me with such a big lie. Moonpie will understand, but can I ask you a favor? " Mee-Maw inquired.

"Sure, anything" Amy replied, now feeling calmer and thankful for Mee-Maw. She was already in love with this woman who had been a huge part of Sheldon's life. She now understood why he loved her so much.

"Would you mind going upstairs and knockin' on Moonpie's door? Try to talk this out with him. If my daughter gives you kids any grief, don't worry, I will explain it was completely necessary that you two spend some time together" Mee-Maw winked. "Take as long as you two need to patch this up."

"Why Mee-Maw you are incorrigible! Yes, I actually would like to speak with Sheldon. Right now I think he can comfort me through this more than anyone to be honest" Amy confided.

"And that is how it should be, dear" Mee-Maw patted her hand. "You are a special woman, Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper. My Moonpie sure knows how to pick 'em. Now this little old lady must get to bed. It is way past her bedtime" Mee-Maw announced.

Amy leaned over and kissed Mee-Maw on the cheek "Thank you, Mee-Maw. You are a special woman too! I know where Sheldon gets his amazing heart. Sleep well" Amy said and walked out with Mee-Maw. Heading up the stairs, Amy knocked on Sheldon's door lightly. She was hoping to not arouse Mary's hearing.

Sheldon opened the door and when he saw it was Amy, he pulled her into his room and into a huge hug.  
"Amy, I am so sorry…"

Putting her fingers up to his lips, Amy quieted him and said "No, I am the one that is sorry. You did nothing wrong, Sheldon. I behaved abhorrently and for that I am truly sorry. I hope you can forgive me."

"There is nothing to forgive, Amy" Sheldon smiled. "I am so glad you are feeling better."

"Do you mind if we cuddle, Sheldon. I just need you to hold me right now. I am feeling better about us, but definitely not feeling very great about the information we learned tonight. I still have not fully processed it, "Amy pleaded.

"All right, but we better be fairly quiet. Mom has some of my Vulcan hearing" Sheldon remarked.

With that they both climbed onto Sheldon's bed and snuggled with each other.

Amy looked around and realized that she had never been in the room he grew up in before. She smiled as she looked around and saw trophies from various science fairs and awards from many science organizations. He still had a collection of comic books in his room, which made her feel at home, just like being in his room at his apartment. She noticed a couple of photos that had he and Missy in them from when they were children. "You were and still are adorable. Look and you and Missy. Can you two get any cuter?" Amy commented on his photos.

"Those are so embarrassing. I forgot they were even here" Sheldon said, but then he looked at them more closely and they brought a smile to his face. "Missy has always been an attractive female. It is just a shame that she doesn't realize that she can be more than just a…"

"Don't say it Sheldon, that isn't nice to call your sister" Amy mockingly scolded. "But you are right, she is a very attractive female and always was..just like you were and adorable little boy and are a hot, sexy man" Amy said while tickling him slightly.

Sheldon giggled then warned "Shhhh….You know Mom will hear us." He pulled her in closer and just relished being with her. Sheldon leaned down and kissed her, then pulling away, held her. They remained that way for quite a while, both trying to overcome the earlier stressful revelation and resulting interaction breaking it down and processing it all.

"Sheldon?" Amy looked up at him.

"Yes, Amy" he puzzled.

"Do you think if you set your alarm super early, I could just stay in here with you tonight? Mee-Maw nearly suggested that earlier. She said she would talk to your Mom if your Mom found me in here." Amy confided.

"Yes, and if Mom says anything, I am a grown man and will stand up to her. I need you here with me as much as you need me to be here with you" Sheldon concurred. He unwound his arms and got off of the bed and rummaged through his drawers, pulling out a pair of PJ's. "I had these when I was a teenager, before I got all of my height. I think these will fit you better than one of my other pairs" Sheldon offered.

Amy giggled as silently as possible and took the PJ's from his hand. Turning her back to Sheldon, she unbuttoned her blouse and pulled on the PJ, top over her shoulders. Removing her bra, she then buttoned up the top.

Sheldon had turned away, while she was changing, as well, but quickly peeked and realized he wasn't going to get much of a view "Drats," he whispered.

Amy looked over her shoulder, asking "what? Is there something wrong?" She pulled up the bottoms under her skirt and then removed her skirt. The PJ's fit quite well and Amy was tickled, knowing that Sheldon once wore them as a younger boy.

Sheldon pouted and said "no, I was just hoping to catch a glimpse…."

Amy, now fully dressed in his PJ's, picked up a pillow and tossed it at him and teased "you horn dog, you!" Laughing.

Sheldon reminded her "Shhh…Mom will hear you." They both stopped in their tracks and listened. Amy and Sheldon felt the only sound they heard was the loud beating of their own hearts. When they felt it was safe they both immediately crawled into Sheldon's bed and snuggled. Sheldon set his clock, turned off the light and they remained quiet, enjoying their 'scandalous' rendezvous. Sheldon again kissed Amy passionately. Once he pulled away, he whispered to her "I just wanted to make sure to be able to kiss you goodnight before you dropped off to sleep."

"I'm glad you did and that can be my goodnight kiss to you as well" she whispered back.

It was only moments later that they both fell into a deep REM sleep.

"_Dr. Spock, report to the bridge. Dr. Spock, report to the bridge. Dr. Spock, report to the bridge_." _Click _Sheldon rubbed sleep from his eyes with his free arm after clicking off the alarm clock, noticing that it was 5 AM. He gently shook Amy until she woke up. "Good morning, beautiful" Sheldon said to her, pulling her into a passionate kiss.

Moments later they pulled apart and Amy replied "Good morning, Cuddles. What time is it?"

"It's 5 AM and mother will be up shortly. You better sneak back down stairs and quietly into your room. Just go down in the PJ's and take your clothes you had on with you" Sheldon instructed.

Amy tossed the covers off of her and grabbed her clothing. As quietly as possible she opened the door and tiptoed down the hall to the stairs. She made it all the way down the stairs when she happened to run smack into Mary Cooper. "Uh-hem" Mary started "I thought I made it clear that there would be no sinnin' under this roof" Mary exclaimed.

Sheldon had kept his head out the door while Amy was sneaking down the stairs and just before he was about to withdraw back into his room, he heard his mother's voice. "Drats!" he said to himself. He knew he had to go down and defend Amy, but was not looking forward to the wrath of Mary Cooper. He walked out his door and quickly took the stairs by twos and landed next to Amy. "Mother, nothing happened. Amy needed comforting after she learned some rather earth-shaking news last night" Sheldon started to defend.

"Shelly, you know that the good Lord knows everything that goes on in this place and I was not born yesterday" Mary argued.

"If your Lord knows everything, He knows that we innocently slept in the same bed last night but that was it" Sheldon's temper was rising.

"Mama Mary, I know this looks bad, but Sheldon is right. I learned that the woman who has raised me my entire life was not my natural mother last night from research Sheldon had done and it was quite upsetting. He was just comforting me" Amy explained.

Mary's eyes opened wide. She was confused. While she wanted to believe the kids, she also was shocked by the news Amy just revealed. She wasn't sure what to think.

Watching Mary's reaction, Amy decided to continue, "as you can imagine, it is quite upsetting to learn that you have been lied to your entire life and it sort of makes you question who you really are. I mean, the woman that raised me, my mother, I never even suspected was not my mother. I knew I didn't really look physically like her, but sometimes kids just don't take after their parents. But I was hurt, angry, confused and I needed comfort, and while I understand and respect your rules, I just needed Sheldon's arms around me and to let him hold me while I mentally tried to process this new information."

Mary calmed down and then felt awful. "You mean to tell me your daddy didn't even tell you the truth? Is he your real daddy?" Mary now was curious about the information more than the scandal.

"I-I-I think he is my real father….Sheldon?" Amy turned to question him.

"As far as I can tell he is your real father. I believe as we research more we will have the answer to that" Sheldon answered, not really confident he knew the answer for certain.

Mary walked over to the living room and dropped into a chair and pointed at the couch to the kids. "I just can't believe it. Oh Amy, I am so sorry. I had no idea" Mary was at a loss for words at the news. She felt guilty for encouraging Amy to learn her roots and felt somewhat responsible for the uncovering of the information.

"Mama Mary, you are perfectly right to have rules in your home. Sheldon and I respect those rules and want to abide by them. You do not need to be apologizing. I am sorry we violated your rule and we don't intend to do it again, but I appreciate your understanding that this was a special circumstance" Amy encouraged.

"Sugar, of course it is. I am glad Shellybean was there to help you through this confusing time. I just can't believe it. Why would anyone hide that from their baby" Mary asked, not expecting a real answer.

"Mom, I think Amy and I want to drive into town today and possibly visit a library to see if we can look through older publications or newspapers. It might be a long-shot, but we might learn something there" Sheldon was looking for a way that he and Amy could be alone and deal with all of this without having to have too much family trying to give them advice at the moment. While he loved his family, he knew they could be nosy-rosies and big on advice-giving. He felt this was something they needed to do together and in a way they could best process and handle anything else that may come up.

"Ok, Shellybean. So will you be here for lunch or dinner?" Mary asked.

"I honestly don't know how long it will take us to weed through everything. Don't expect us for either meal. We will get something while we are out, but we should be back by around 9 at the latest. I'll call you if we find what we need earlier or if it looks like it will be later" Sheldon wanted to give them as much time alone as possible.

Mary eyed him a bit suspiciously, and then looked at Amy. Amy was deep in thought and looked a bit sad. She realized that the kids needed time to sort this out and said "Well, that would be nice if you could keep me informed. If you learn anything, let me know. Mee-Maw and I might go over to Sulphur Springs and do some shopping in the early afternoon, but we should be back by 4."

"Sulphur Springs? I didn't know they had much in the way of shopping" Sheldon commented. "Boy things must have built up a lot since I was here last."

"Yes, oh my, they built a big fancy mall there" Mary beamed. "You should see it Shelly. It probably is all decorated for Christmas right now. It really is somethin'. They've got all them fancy stores there and cute boutiques. Mee-Maw likes to stop off in the chocolate candy place to buy candy, which we don't need" Mary enthused.

"Amy and I may have to head into Dallas, but it depends on what they have locally. I will keep you informed" Sheldon said. Turning to Amy, "Amy, how about we go through our morning routines and meet for breakfast in an hour. After breakfast we can start out and see what we can find. Maybe we should bring our laptops with us" Sheldon suggested.

"Ok, I think the laptops are a good idea, "Amy agreed. "I will see you shortly then" and she took off toward the guest room to begin to get ready for the day.

Sheldon returned to his room and picked up his cell phone and text'd Amy, "_Make sure to pack night clothes and an extra day's outfit with your laptop…love you _ "

Amy just walked into her room when she heard her phone buzz that she had a message. She could not imagine who would be texting her so early so picked up the phone. She giggled when she saw the message from Sheldon. She text'd him back and wrote "_You naughty, naughty boy. I will be an obedient wife-to-be and do as you instructed…love you back_ " After sending her message, she gathered clean underwear and clothes for the day and head to the bathroom to shower and ready herself for their research adventure.

Sheldon packed his laptop, whiteboard and a change of clothes and underwear in his laptop bag. He included his toothbrush and aftershave as well. He then gathered clothes for the day and head out of his room to the bathroom to shower and ready himself for what he hoped would be, not only an informative day, but a day to also spend time snuggling with Amy. He smiled at recalling her in his old PJs and hitting him with his pillow last night. Gosh he loved her and wished he could be with her all the time. He finally understood Leonard and his love for Penny.

Amy was the first to join Mary in the kitchen. "Anything I can do to help" she asked as Mary was busy putting breakfast together.

"Why don't you shred those potatoes for me" Mary suggested.

Peeled potatoes and a vegetable shredder were sitting on a cutting board. Amy walked over and began to shred. "Mama Mary, I must admit I am at a loss as to what to do about this whole lying thing that my family played out. I feel like I have a huge weight on me. I now know something that my parents hid from me my whole life and they don't know I know it yet."

"Oh Sugar, I can't even imagine what you must be feelin'. I don't know what I would do if Mee-Maw had kept such a secret from me." Mary feeling horrible went over and wrapped her arms around Amy. "Just know, Sugar that you have real family here and we will always be here for you. We will be your solid ground and if you let the Lord be your rock, He will be unshakable. He is always your family too" Mary preached.

"I really don't object to the concept of a deity, but I know Sheldon does. How come he doesn't seem to mind when Mee-Maw speaks of her faith, but he argues with you about it?" Amy was curious.

"Well now I don't rightly know" Mary pondered. "I suspect it is because Mee-Maw can do no wrong in Shellybean's eyes. He totally adores her. I know he loves me too, but I think it is different mother to son as opposed to grandmother and son. Mee-Maws are supposed to be special and she is very special to Shellybean." Mary stabbed at trying to answer a question that she herself had always wondered.

"So you grew up always in a church?" Amy asked.

"Well yes… sort of. For years I sort of ignored the faith my mother had. Kids always rebel and I was no different. But then the older I got, the more I realized how much of what the Lord has told us through His Word I have witnessed to be true. I got to thinkin' about how many times I had seen things He said and it made me start to realize that He speaks the truth." Mary revealed.

"I guess I am not quite there yet" Amy admitted "but I think I am closer than Sheldon is to seeing some things work out to match what has been documented. Did having your children be a part of that? I heard that sometimes you grow closer to faith when you have children."

"Well now come to think of it, yes. You see once you go through that whole miracle of carryin' and havin' a child, I think you can relate more to a Heavenly Father" Mary explained.

Sheldon walked into the kitchen, interrupting their conversation. "Oh good, you are ready" he said as he walked over and put his arms around Amy's waist, hugging her from behind. He gave her a quick kiss on the cheek and looked over at his mother. "What's for breakfast?"

"You men always think with your stomachs" Mary teased. Turning to Amy "you had better get used to cookin', Sugar. This one" she said pointing to Sheldon "can put quite a bit way and not gain an ounce. It is as if he is still growin' all the time. I don't know how he does it."

Amy giggled and looked at his stomach teasing "I don't see any holes there." She poked him a couple of times and then gave him a quick peck on the cheek.

Sheldon, amused but not wanting her to know, gave her a mocking glare. "Excuse me, but would you quit poking me like I am the Pillsbury Dough Boy."

Mary burst out laughing, with Amy following. Sheldon finally broke and laughed with them.

"You don't have enough to ya to be the Pillsbury Dough Boy, Shellybean" Mary giggled.

A little while later, with breakfast in their stomach's and dishes done, Sheldon and Amy head back to their rooms to collect their laptop bags and agreed to meet in the living room to head out for the day.

As Amy was about to enter the guest room to gather her things, Mee-Maw opened her door, greeting her "Good Morning, Sugar. How are you feeling this morning?"

"I am much better" Amy replied. "Thank you for last night. You helped me so much Mee-Maw. "

"So are things all settled between you and Moonpie?"

"Yes, we talked it out and he was able to comfort me last night" Amy wasn't sure what else to say about the evening.

"And you managed to deceive my daughter successfully" Mee-Maw's eyes twinkled.

Amy giggled and whispered "Well if you mean was I able to be comforted all night, yes. I will tell you nothing more than comfort giving happened though, you can be assured of that." Amy still wasn't sure if Mee-Maw would approve if they played around more than they did.

"Oh, Sugar, I am not judgmental. I think you kids have every right to do whatever nature tells you to do. I know you are committed to each other, and the Lord has brought you two together. Even He smiles down at you two" Mee-Maw assured.

"Thank you. But you know, I am not very experienced and neither is Sheldon. We are going to have to learn things together over time and probably a lot of learning will be on our wedding night" Amy confided.

Sheldon called from the living room, "Amy, are you about ready?"

Amy whispered to Mee-Maw "we can continue this conversation later. I had better get going. Sheldon hates it when he has a schedule set and someone messes with it" she winked.

"Yes dear, we have plenty of time to talk later. You two kids enjoy yourselves and I hope you can find what you are seeking" Mee-Maw patted her hand. Amy leaned over and kissed her cheek. She then ducked into the guest room and gathered up her belongings.

"There you are" Sheldon said as she entered the living room with all her things. "Ready?" Amy nodded and they walked out the front door, realizing that it might yield the unknown.


	11. Chapter 11: The Condom Conundrum

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Sheldon drove direct to their rented hotel room.

"We were up pretty late and woke up very early, so I thought we might nap before we begin to start looking up your family" Sheldon informed.

Amy looked at him and teasingly asked "nap only…as in sleep?"

Sheldon laughed and replied "well, we might nap and then…who knows?" wiggling his eyebrows up and down suggestively while at the same time licking his bottom lip.

"Stop that, you know I find you too irresistible when you do that" Amy teased back.

Pulling their laptop bags with additional contents inside out of the car, they made their way up to their room. It had been refreshed and Amy's cardigan was hung up in the little closet area. "Oh gee, I can't believe I forgot this yesterday" Amy remarked.

"Yes, and Mee-Maw noticed. She asked if we had been off having and I quote _hanky-panky_" Sheldon smirked.

Embarrassed that Mee-Maw would know what they were up to, Amy blushed "how unfortunate. What did you say?"

"Well I didn't have to say much. She actually approves of us getting away and having private time. She even said and I quote that we could "_spend some time smooching and well just getting familiar with each other_" and then later commented that there would be nothing we could do that would disappoint her. If I didn't know better, I would swear Mee-Maw was wanting us to…you know…have intercourse" Sheldon blushed.

Amy nervously laughed. "Your Mee-Maw is incorrigible!"

"I know. She always has been, and by the way she is your Mee-Maw now too. She can be so full of mischief that even Mom doesn't know what to think at times" Sheldon shrugged.

Yawning and stretching out his arms, Sheldon looked through his bag, hoping to find his pajamas. "Drats, I forgot pajamas" he turned to Amy. "I packed everything but those" he continued. "How could I have been so absent-minded."

Amy walked up and put her hand up to his forehead "well you don't have a fever so you can't use illness as an excuse" she smirked. "So you forgot PJ's, no big deal, just sleep in your undershirt and underwear. Men do it all the time" Amy suggested.

Sheldon thought about this for a minute and then whined "it isn't fair that I have to sleep in my underwear and you will have all your layers of clothes on."

"Well, unlike you I actually remembered my pajamas so I will only have my pajamas and panties on" she countered. I basically will have about as much clothing as you so no complaints. I am tired and want to nap" she commanded. With that she took her PJ's with her to the bathroom and changed into them. By the time she returned, Sheldon was in bed, his pants nicely lying over the back of a chair. She then climbed on the other side of the bed next to him and inched over to him.

Sheldon wrapped his arms around her and they snuggled until they fell asleep. Both were still drained emotionally and needed more sleep.

A couple of hours later, Sheldon woke to a sleeping Amy. He studied her as she slept, admiring her eyelashes and lips. Leaning over he gave her a whisper of a kiss. He knew he better get up then as he was on the edge of arousal.

He managed to slip his arm out from under her and crawled out of bed. He slipped on his slacks and wrote her a quick note that he would be back shortly with some food for them to eat. He then grabbed the room key, car keys and left the room, as quietly as possibly shutting the door behind him, but not before slipping a "do not disturb" sign on the hall side of the door.

Outside, Sheldon quickly looked up Leonard's number and pressed his call button. It rang several times then went to voice mail. "Drats" Sheldon commented as he hit his end button. He pondered for a moment then called Howard.

'Howard Wolowitz" he answered.

"Wolowitz, it's Sheldon" Sheldon introduced.

"Hey, Sheldon, what's up? How are things in Texas?" Howard was surprised to hear from Sheldon.

"I am well and things are…intriguing…and also…"Sheldon was struggling for the right word.

"Intriguing? What are you, Sherlock Holmes?" Howard teased.

"In a way, yes" Sheldon replied. "Amy and I are on a bit of an adventure and it requires us to use similar skills to Dr. Holmes" Sheldon wasn't going to reveal any more than that. "But that is irrelevant to my call."

"Well now you have me intrigued. What are you and Amy up to?" starting to fear another death star trial or worse.

"Howard, focus, that isn't why I called you…well I guess she is why I called in a way, but not about that" Sheldon continued.

"Sheldon, get to the point…why did you call?"

"I need your assistance on something…of a rather….personal nature" Sheldon was having difficulty trying to get to the point. He sort of wished Howard might catch on to his inquiry without him having to mention it."

"A personal nature?" Howard pondered this for a while. "And this involves Amy?"

"Yes" Sheldon replied.

"Ah, I think I get it. Sheldon, are you asking for help with a male issue?" Howard questioned, starting to catch on.

"Umm…"

"Are you asking me about condom purchases?" Howard pushed.

"Ummm…ummmm…"

"Sheldon, if you are man enough to use a condom you certainly can answer the question" Howard was trying to rile Sheldon into a response.

"Yes, Howard, that is why I am calling. I am not sure which are the best to buy" Sheldon took the bait.

Howard proceeded to lecture Sheldon on the pros and cons of various types and brands of condoms. Sheldon was getting more and more nervous as he listened. "Good Lord, you mean they have flavored kinds? What on earth for?"

Howard burst out laughing before he responded "Sheldon, so Amy can enjoy the taste."

Sheldon's eyes opened wide and he nearly dropped his cell phone. "Ummm…move on. Are there any that she could have an allergic reaction to? Are some Latix?" Sheldon wanted to make sure to not harm Amy.

Howard continued to describe what was available. "Sheldon, so you and Amy, huh? You're gonna do it?"

"Maybe" Sheldon replied. "I just want to be prepared in case."

"Wait, I thought she and Bernie had an appointment for Thursday…that 's only a few days from now" Howard remembered his wife telling him that she was helping Amy get set up for birth control.

"Yes, well…" Sheldon paused for quite a long time.

"Ah, I get it….your baser urges are not wanting to wait" Howard commented "and you used to tell us we had no control" he muttered under his breath.

"Excuse me, I am very much in control of my baser urges. It's just…well…we are old enough ….and….well" Sheldon wasn't very good at building a case at the moment.

Sheldon then heard Howard whispering something to someone else that must have been in the room.

"Wolowitz are you still there?"

"Hey, Sheldon, buddy. So you and Amy want to have sex?" Leonard had taken the phone from Howard. He heard Raj's voice in the background yelling "Do it, dude, you will feel better."

Sheldon tried to avert the conversation "Leonard, how are you and Penny doing?"

"Fine, fine…but quit trying to change the topic. Has Amy told Penny, yet?" Leonard asked.

"No, she doesn't even know…I am out of the room right now. She is asleep."

"Isn't it past 10 AM there?"  
"Yes, well it is a long story. We had a pretty short night and were up very early trying to avoid something that we were unsuccessful at achieving" Sheldon was being vague on purpose.

"No… don't tell me…you and she were sneaking around right in your Mom's house? With your Mee-Maw there too?" Leonard probed.

"Ummm…sort of, but it isn't what you think. I just am not at liberty to tell you more at the moment" Sheldon continued.

"Ok, buddy, I get it. Raj said he needs to talk to Amy about the reception when she gets a minute. Tell her to call him" Leonard requested.

"Excuse me, why can't he talk to me about the plans? Why does he want to talk to Amy specifically? She is my fiancé, not his" Sheldon's green-eyed monster rose within.

"Sheldon, you know and I know that you could care less about the details, and Amy does care. That is why he needs to talk to her" Leonard explained.

"And why do you presume that I don't care about the details?" Sheldon, still annoyed, asked Leonard.

"Face it Sheldon, you have never cared about parties or party planning" Leonard reasoned.

"You're probably right about that, I guess it will be all right, but I want to be a part of that call as well. Tell Raj we will Skype him later" Sheldon relented. "Leonard, I need to go. I have to go get Amy and I something to eat and run another quick errand before getting back to her."

"Yeah, I know about your errand…you dog, you…Tell Amy Penny and I say hi and to call Penny when she can. See you later" and Leonard hung up the phone.

Sheldon next checked for food location options on his cell phone, as well as a drug store. He went to the drug store first and after looking at the packages of various condoms, bought two different options because he could not make his mind up about which of the two he would prefer. He just wanted to get out of there as fast as he could so he quickly paid and left.

The clerk at the store happened to know both Mary and Mee-Maw. She recognized Sheldon right away and was surprised to see him buying condoms. She knew of Sheldon by reputation and had heard he had a girlfriend, but everyone said they were platonic. She was rather surprised to see him buying evidence that would suggest otherwise. Picking up the phone, she dialed Mary Cooper.

Sheldon found the small café he looked up on his phone. Studying the menu he selected two orders and placed them. When the food was ready he paid the bill and left, noticing a store that held a Scottish tartan across the street. Curious he walked over and went inside. He was amazed at all the imported Scottish items inside the store. He found a cute little snowglobe that had a scene from Scotland inside that he purchase for Amy. It was then that it dawned on him where he wanted to take Amy for their honeymoon. He noticed a few books that caught his interest and decided to purchase a couple for perusing later in the evening. After paying for everything he left and quickly got back in his rental car to head back to the hotel.

Returning to the room, Amy was awake and looking through emails. "Hey sleepyhead, glad you are awake" Sheldon smiled as he walked over and kissed her. Amy eyed the bags and asked "What did you buy?"

"Food and a couple of surprises for you" Sheldon teased. "Go wash your hands, while I set everything out" Sheldon ordered.

Amy left around the corner to wash her hand. Seeing that she was out of eye view, Sheldon quickly stashed the condoms he purchased into his bag and then began to lay out their meals.

Amy returned and looked at what he had bought them to eat. "Smells good" she smiled and leaned up to kiss him.

"I am glad you are pleased. Let me go wash my hands and I will be right back" he said. He went to wash his hands as Amy waited patiently. Returning they both began to enjoy their meal. "So what did you get me" Amy asked, eyes sparkling with delight.

Sheldon got up and walked over to the bag with the Scottish items inside and pulled out the snowglobe. "I thought you might like a little piece of your heritage" Sheldon smiled, hoping he wasn't making a faux pas.

Amy took the snowglobe into her hand and studied the contents and then wrapped both of her hands around it, tears welling up in her eyes. All she could squeak out was "Thank you, Sheldon" and then tears began to fall.

"Oh Amy, I didn't mean to make you cry" Sheldon was angry with himself.

"No..no…no…no…no…I am so touched. They are happy tears" she reassured him.

"Oh, well I am doing better at reading these things, I guess I missed this one" Sheldon frowned.

"Cuddles, you have gotten very good and reading people. I am shocked actually… at how well you have done, but then again I am not shocked. You are a genius after all" She beamed.

Sheldon then pulled out the two books. "I thought we could look through these as well. I know we need to look into more background, but these might help you relate to your maternal side of your family."

Amy begin to look at the books. "Sheldon these are beautiful."

"I thought so too. So when do you want to begin to do more research" Sheldon timidly asked.

"Are we really going to go to the library and look through papers?" Amy inquired in disbelief.

"No, probably not. We might go into Dallas if we don't make much progress with our online digging, but I don't think they would have anything locally" Sheldon remarked. "I used the library more as a means to get away and keep us away from the house so we could come here. The reason I suggested our laptops, I thought we might want to do research for both your background…and you might want to do more wedding related stuff" Sheldon explained.

Amy smiled at him and teased "You really are getting good at deceiving your mother. I hope it isn't a skill that you will use on me."

"Of course not!" Sheldon defended. He was appalled she would even think such a thing. "I would never wish to deceive you. I don't even like deceiving my mother, but if it is done to be with you, then so be it."

"Good" Amy smiled content with the response.

"By the way, Raj wants you to Skype him. He said he has wedding reception information he needs to share with you."

"When did you talk to him? Why didn't he just call me?" Amy was surprised.

"Oh, I talked to the guys while I was out getting our food" Sheldon remarked.

Just then Amy's phone buzzed and Amy went to look at who had text'd her. "_Sheldon and you are going to have sex? Scream! Why haven't you told me_?" from Penny. Amy frowned and wondered where she got that impression.

Amy typed back "_Huh? I don't know where you got that impression. We are waiting until our wedding night._"

"_That's not what I heard_" Penny text'd back. "_Or so Sheldon told Leonard_."

"Is that Raj?" Sheldon asked.

"No, it's Penny" Amy replied. Amy typed in "_Are you sure? Why would he tell Leonard that?_"

"What does she want?" Sheldon was starting to worry the boys might have said something.

"Um…not much" Amy acted distracted, but she really didn't want to reveal anything just yet. "She is just telling me about her day and a purse she found to go with her shoes" Amy lied to avoid a conversation that she felt might be coming up soon.

"_He called Howard to ask for assistance on buying condoms_" Penny sent. "_Sounds to me like he has sex on the brain_."

"_You must be confused. He knows I have an appointment on Thursday to get birth control_" Amy replied.

"_Guess you are too hot for him and he can't wait…lol_" Penny sent.

Amy just looked at the screen and didn't know what to think. She finally typed in "_gotta go, Sheldon is asking me why you keep texting me. Talk to you soon_" and hit send.

"Amy, is everything okay, you look a little ill" Sheldon asked.

"I think I may have eaten too fast" Amy covered. "I think I am going to lie back down for a few minutes. I feel a little…I don't even know how to describe it" she really did feel a bit _off_ after that text exchange.  
"_Would Sheldon really go and buy condoms before discussing his thoughts with me_?" Amy continued pondering. "_He has always been honest with me, he wouldn't do that to me, not after all I am going through with my family's deception_" Amy continued. She closed her eyes and wished the whole text conversation away.

Sheldon worried about Amy. He started to feel guilty about going out and buying condoms. If the boys told Penny, he knew she would tell Amy and he had not had a chance to talk to her about it. He actually had planned to surprise her, thinking she would be pleased, but now he wasn't so sure. He studied her face and realized that whatever Penny told her wasn't making her happy.

"Amy, are you okay? Do you want me to get a doctor?" Sheldon offered.

"No…no…I just need a few minutes to let my stomach settle" She replied.

"Did Penny say something to upset you?" Sheldon pried.

Amy didn't answer. She didn't know if she could.

Sheldon's heart raced. He felt busted for buying the condoms.

"Sheldon, can I ask you something?" Amy finally mustered enough courage to ask. "When you told me that you had the conversation earlier with the guys, did you perhaps ask them anything about condoms?" Amy sat up wanting to study his face before he replied.

Sheldon knew Penny could never keep her mouth shut, but he had hoped the guys would know better. He was angry. "Um….yes" he decided honesty was important after her family lied to her all these years, plus he just couldn't lie to her ever.

"Why? You knew I was going to the doctor later this week to discuss birth control options" Amy pushed.

"Umm…well…you and I have been rather intimate and tempted lately, and well….I just felt that….well just in case our baser urges got out of control….that I should have something …you know…until you take care of things with the doctor" he timidly explained. "I am really sorry I didn't ask you about it first. You were so beautiful when you were sleeping and …well I was struggling trying to not get…you know…and so I thought perhaps I should buy something just in case" Sheldon hoped she would understand.

"Sheldon, I thought we agreed, even if I do see the doctor on Thursday, that we would wait until our wedding night" Amy reminded. "I thought we agreed to wait until the time was right."

Sheldon closed his eyes, trying to avoid the tears that were welling up. "Amy, I know we agreed and I still want to honor that and you. Is it so wrong to want to make sure that I have protection, though, should we…well you know…get quote _hot and heavy_?"

"No, it actually is rather responsible. I was just surprised to learn the news that you had been asking the guys about it and talking about it behind my back. Now Penny thinks we are having sex and probably all the guys do as well. It just made me feel…I don't know…it just made me feel…." Amy could not say the word because she knew it would hurt Sheldon, but it made her feel dirty in a way or slightly violated. They were having an impression about her reputation that wasn't even true.

Sheldon wasn't sure what to do. He slowly walked over to Amy and sat down on the bed, looked at her and then pulled her into a hug. "Amy, I never want to do anything that would dishonor you or soil your reputation. You mean everything to me. I am so sorry that I didn't talk to you and I am even angrier at myself for trusting Wolowitz and Hofstadter. I just was trying to make sure that I didn't get out of control and then act foolishly."

"I know, Sheldon. I know you don't mean to hurt me. I was just surprised and well…I just wish I had heard it from you before it went through the rumor mill" Amy sighed.

"I am so sorry, Amy. Can you forgive me?" Sheldon was worried that he had hurt her again.

"Sheldon, I am fine. You don't need to apologize. I know you didn't mean to upset me" Amy reassured him. She pulled away from him and cupped his face and gave him a soft, sweet kiss. Pulling away she suggested "perhaps we should begin to look into my history some more."

"If you are ready" Sheldon eyed her, still feeling bad.

"Yes, I think so and I am glad you are here doing it with me. I don't know if I would be as objective" Amy appreciatively remarked.

"Okay, well I suggest we look some at Jane's background. It might help us uncover more information about your father, or even your mother" Sheldon suggested as he got off of the bed and began to set his laptop up on the desk.

Amy felt drained. Her life had been in a tailspin in just a few short hours and she really didn't care what approach they took. She just needed answers as this point. "Sounds fine to me. I really don't have an opinion."

Sheldon turned to look at her and realized that she was struggling. The Amy he knew would be taking charge, but the woman he saw across the room seemed like she just wanted to crawl into a hole and die. It broke his heart.

"You know what? Why don't we just watch some TV for a while, maybe one of your romantic comedies or something you would enjoy. I think we can afford to get our minds off of everything for a while" Sheldon offered.

Amy considered this. While she really did want to get to the bottom of this mystery, she also just needed some down time. "Sheldon, would you mind? I mean I am just spent right now."

Sheldon walked over to the bed, turning on the TV on his way over, and then pulled Amy into a cuddle. He just held her close. He handed her the remote and said "your pick, anything you want. I don't care if it is totally mindless, I just want you to be happy. I think the more mindless at this point, it probably is a godsend."

"Sheldon I am happy. I have you and that makes me very happy. I guess this whole thing hit me harder than I expected, about my mom I mean. I am sorry I got so upset about the condoms. You were just doing what is gentlemanly and I acted all paranoid. I am sorry" Amy apologized.

"I would never hurt you purposely, you realize that, don't you" Sheldon begged for mercy.

Leaning up and kissing his jaw, then his cheek, then his nose, then his forehead, and finally his lips, Amy answered "What do you think?" smiling. "Sheldon, I know you would never hurt me on purpose and would do everything in your power to avoid hurting me ever. I trust you with my life and my heart."

Amy pulled her tighter and squeezed…How was it that she was worried about giving him peace of mind when he had blundered so. He loved her all that much more.

They spent the next couple of hours just enjoying closeness and mindlessness.


	12. Chapter 12: A Confrontation

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Somewhere in the Sulphur Springs mall, Mary Cooper hung up the phone, her face read and if Mee-Maw didn't know better she could swear steam was coming out of Mary's ears. "What is it, Sugar? You seem upset."

"Mom, that call was from Annie Palmerson" Mary started.

"Annie? The one that works at the drug store in Mount Pleasant" Mee-Maw was surprised.

"Yes. And do you know what that nosy-rosie had to tell me?" Mary continued.

"Now, Sugar, she isn't a nosy-rosie. Don't be unkind" Mee-Maw scolded.

Her scolding went on deaf ears. "Shelly, my good boy…the one that I know I could always count on to be honest and tell me the truth and not do anything bad behind my back…"she was shaking she was so angry.

"Calm down, Mary. Sheldon is still a good boy and what could he have done that has got you so upset?" Mee-Maw asked.

"Do you know what my little Shelly was doin' in the drug store?" Mary's eyes looked as if they were going to pop directly out of their sockets.

Mee-Maw suspected she might know but felt like it would be better to remain silent at the moment. She knew Sheldon loved Amy and well, she had her suspicions about what he was hoping might transpire between them. She also knew he had a lot of pent up years' worth of untapped passion inside of him.

"Shelly…I can't believe it, Ma, he….he…..was in that store…buying the Devil's…."Mary couldn't even spit out the words.

"Mary, was he buying condoms?" Mee-Maw asked calmly, patting her arm.

Mary turned to Mee-Maw with unbelief. "How could you be so calm about it? He isn't married, Ma. It is sinful. You know I want him to give me grandbabies, but I don't want him violatin' the Lord's laws gettin' there before he is supposed to" Mary glared.

"I believe that is what the condoms are for…to keep that from happening" Mee-Maw said direct and to the point. Mary Lee Cooper now you listen to me" Mee-Maw ordered. "Sheldon is a grown man, and his girl is an adult as well. Both are still pure and have not violated anything. They are in love and are gettin' married in February. Now I suspect his girl is gonna ensure that they abide by your rules. She confided in me this mornin' that she isn't experienced and that she intends to make sure they wait until they are married. You underestimate your son as well. I suspect he bought them as a "just in case" scenario. He isn't some sex-crazed man. He is your son, Mary and he knows how you raised him. You are gettin' yourself all worked up over nothin'."

"Ma, you don't know that. I mean…I am sure that precious little girl wants to do what is right, but I have seen them two together and she loves him. I mean she really, really loves him. I can tell that they are smitten with each other and sweet on each other, but I can also see a lot of desire behind both of their sets of eyes" Mary argued.

"Sure they have desire. What couple about to take the plunge of marriage isn't smitten like that and wantin' each other" Mee-Maw continued. "But that don't mean they are gonna go off and go kinky on you. Sheldon is a thoughtful young man. I am sure he just wanted to make sure in case they get "caught up in the moment", but I also know him. He hears your voice, Mary. He isn't gonna do anything, knowin' you won't approve. And what's more, that little girl of his I think hears your voice even though she ain't been around you much. But she respects you a lot and admires you. She won't go doin' something you won't approve of without givin' it much thought."

"I hope you're right, Mom. I would like to think I raised him right, but it don't look good that he went and bought condoms, and what is he doing out in Mount Pleasant anyway? He was talking about possibly going to Dallas. All I know is he better be checkin' in with me soon" Mary huffed.

"Mary, his girl is worried about the lies her daddy told her. I don't think sex is rightly on her mind right now. Sure she loves Moonpie, but she is tryin' to plan a weddin' and now receives this kind of news. She is holding a lot of stress on her shoulders and sex is probably the farthest thing from that young girl's mind. When she spoke to me this mornin' I sensed she is a little scared about the whole idea of sex anyway. She knows she wants to be a good wife and all, but that poor child is innocent and she isn't gonna be changin' her ways in one day" Mee-Maw continued to grind it in Mary's head that she could trust the kids.

"Mom, you are right, that poor little girl has a lot on her mind right now. I just hope you're right" Mary backed off.

A couple hours of mindless television, Sheldon was getting restless. He really wanted to begin looking into Amy's past. Amy had fallen asleep so he quietly slipped his arm out from around her, crawled off the bed and tossed the comforter over her. He went over to his laptop and began searching. He knew he promised that they would research together, but he felt Amy needed her sleep.

Sheldon typed in Jane Anne Jackson. The entries were numerous so he narrowed the search by adding Pasadena, CA next to her name. Clicking on search again, the entries were still numerous but clearly focused on the woman he was seeking. Reading he learned that she was a colleague, more of a grad student under Winston. She too was fairly intelligent and had several published articles. But the last article published was in late 1980. They just stopped after that. Sheldon was determined to not look into her personal information until Amy could be there by his side reading along with him. He didn't want to stumble across anything without her being there at the same time. He refused to make the same mistake twice.

Looking over, he could see that Amy was still in a rather deep sleep. Writing her a note, he decided to go down to the lobby and look in the gift shop to see what kind of candy he might find. He also wanted to check in with his mother. He wanted to tell his mother they may not make it home tonight. He felt Amy needed to rest. Setting the note next to her on his pillow, he grabbed the room key and his cell phone and quietly closed the door behind him, making sure the "do not disturb" sign was still hanging on the outside of the door.

Down in the hotel lobby, Sheldon found a quiet area that had a nice padded bench. He went over to it and placed a call to his mother.

"Hello, Shelly is that you?" Mary answered.

"Hi Mom, yeah it's me. I am in Mount Pleasant. Amy and I came here to look at a Scottish store…you know…to get a feel for her heritage. She's really taking this hard Mom." Sheldon began

"Sheldon Lee Cooper, what is this about you buyin' some condoms" Mary accused, she just couldn't hold it in.

Stunned, Sheldon was speechless. _How did she find out? _ "Umm….it was a mistake. You have nothing to worry about" was all he could muster to say.

Mary was surprised by his frankness and had not expected that kind of response. He seemed down from his tone of voice and it concerned her. "Tell me, Shelly, you sound upset, I promise I won't be yellin' at ya" Mary asked calmly.

"Mom, I think Amy is taking this whole family background thing really hard. I am worried about her. She is always so much fun and full of life and today, all she has wanted to do is sleep. I had to get a hotel room to let her sleep. I am down in the lobby" Sheldon confided. He knew they would checking out in the morning anyway because they were leaving for Pasadena the next day.

"You're staying in a hotel? Together?" Mary's voice started to rise. Mee-Maw had been listening to her half of the conversation and knew Mary was about to lose it. She walked over and gently put her hand on Mary's arm and looked at her shaking her had "No." "Sheldon, be honest with me, are you two sinnin'?" Mary asked, a bit more calmly, but clearly shaky about what she might hear.

Sheldon sighed, frustrated with the line of questioning. He wanted his mother to make him feel better and instead she was making him feel a lot worse. "No Mom, we are not sinning. Why do you keep asking me that? Amy and I made an agreement when we got engaged we would wait until we were married. I won't lie, it isn't easy, but I respect Amy too much to violate her trust and I respect you too much to do that either" determination in Sheldon's voice came through as he spoke.

Mary let out a breath she had been holding and nodded, even though he couldn't see her. "Okay baby, that's all I needed to hear."

"Mom, I am going to be honest. I plan for us to stay here tonight. Amy is fragile right now and we haven't even been able to look at her family history yet. I started to do some research and then felt like I was violating her trust by not having her there looking at the data with me. I don't want to rush her. She needs to take things at her pace right now. I want you to know that nothing will change about what we just talked about. I will be a perfect gentleman to her, but I don't want you yelling at me for making a decision that I feel is right for us right now. I am going to stand up to you on this" Sheldon courageously demanded.

Mary was stunned at his courage. She had never seen him stand up to her on anything so bravely that she could not help but be impressed. While a part of her still was concerned about his admission to it not being easy for him to hold off, she felt in her heart she had to trust him on this. "Okay, baby. I understand. But will you promise to be home for breakfast? You are leaving late tomorrow afternoon and Mee-Maw and I feel we haven't seen much of you. Missy has tomorrow off as well and was hoping to get to know Amy better."

"I think we can agree to do that. Can you plan on a later breakfast…say around 9 AM instead?" Sheldon negotiated.

"Yeah, sure. Shelly, behave and take care of Amy. Now you've got me concerned crazy over that girl. I don't want her going off the deep end."

"I'm trying my best, Mom. Give Mee-Maw a kiss from me and Amy. I know Amy would want me to give you a kiss for her too so consider yourself smacked on the cheek from me and Amy. Love you, Mom and thanks for understanding. If we find out anything or if Amy gets worse, I may call again" Sheldon offered.

"Yes, do let me know if anything changes or you learn anything new. Bye, baby" Mary said.

"Bye, Mom." Sheldon ended the call. He sat there feeling spent himself. He was worried sick about Amy and angry with Penny and the guys at home for blabbing about the condoms. He felt helpless in a way. Getting up, he strolled across the lobby to the gift shop and began to look over the candy choices. Nothing really sounded appealing at the moment, but he ended up buying some red vines, which he was surprised to find in the gift shop because they usually don't carry them, and he bought some junior mints. He looked around at their merchandise and saw a pair of men's pajamas and a matching women's set. On a whim, he decided to purchase them. After paying for everything, he head back to the room.

Opening the door to the room as quietly as he could, he tiptoed in, only to find Amy sitting up with her laptop on her lap typing away. "Oh you're up?" Sheldon smiled. "Are you feeling better?"

Amy glared at him briefly and said "Yes and No. I just got an email from Raj and what he proposed is preposterous. How in the world could he have come up with such a stupid idea. I was just typing in a scathing email back to him, but your timing to enter may have prevented me from ruining a friendship." Looking back up at him, she asked "What's in the bag?"

"Well, you know I have a sweet tooth and while you were still asleep, I didn't want to deprive you of much needed rest, so I decided to head down to the gift shop and look over their candy supply. So I bought red vines, which I was completely surprised that they carried since most hotel gift shops don't, and I bought junior mints. But while I was in there, I started looking around and these caught my eye" he said as he pulled out the matching PJs.

"You bought more pajamas? Why did you get two exact pairs?"

"Silly, they aren't the same. One pair is for me and one for you…see we match" he said proud of his thoughtfulness.

Amy giggled and shook her head. "You never cease to amaze me, Sheldon. Who would have thought that you would have thought of matching PJs."

Sheldon opened his packet of red vines and began to chew on one. "Amy, what did Raj propose that made you so angry?"

"He wanted to hire a boy band wearing matching suits for the entertainment. I mean, how 80's is that? I just envisioned sparkling matching suits, singing and swishing and swaying with their hands all out in front of them…can he suggest anything more gay?"

Sheldon burst out laughing. "Oh Lord, does that man even know me at all? I hope you gave him a piece of your mind, because if you didn't I certainly will. Come to think of it we owe him a Skype call. Let's do it now" Sheldon offered.

"Now be nice, I don't want any ruined friendships, but yes. We should Skype him and let him know that what he suggested is completely out of the realm of possibilities." Amy concurred.

Sheldon went over to his laptop and brought up Skype and placed the call to Raj.

"Hey Stud" Raj immediately answered, referring back to Sheldon's morning conversation with the guys.

"Rajesh, this is Amy." Amy replied.

"Oh…sorry, Amy…I thought you were Sheldon calling" Raj blushed.

"Koothrappali, what is this I hear about some girlish boy band you are trying to hire for our reception? No such band, and I repeat, no such band will be allowed at my wedding reception! Got it?" Sheldon said, arms crossed across his chest, stern and commanding in his demeanor.

"Rajesh, I think we had settled on having a DJ and not any live entertainment. It is a small wedding and Howard has a CD full of music that is wedding-reception appropriate. Can you please just interview DJ's instead" Amy tried to soften Sheldon's demand.

"Sorry guys, I didn't mean to upset you. Sure, Amy, I can look at DJs" Raj bowed and answered.

"And I don't want any with flashy suits or shirts. Just normal formal attire will be fine" Sheldon continued to order.

"Raj, I think what he is asking is that you be discerning and find someone respectable and who will not be wearing lounge-lizard attire" Amy translated.

"Okay, got it" Raj made a note. "You said Howard has a CD? Will we be having any others played?"

"I would like for you to narrow the choices for the DJ down and when we return we will interview them. As part of the preparation for the interview process, ask them to bring a suggested list for a wedding reception that they would play if they were hired" Sheldon suggested with Amy nodding in agreement.

"Sure, I can do that" Raj made note.

"Koothrappali, I also want a drawing rendition of what you plan for the facilities to look like when decorated, along with a floorplan of the room and seating chart" Sheldon ordered, again with Amy nodding in agreement. She swooned at watching him be so take-charge and smiled up to him.

"Sheldon, do you want to offer open bar to your guests? It is sort of the polite thing to do" Raj asked.

"Excuse me, Raj, if I can interject. I would like to do a limited open bar. I plan to buy three cases of champagne that will be flowing until it runs out for the guests, and one case for the bridal party. I also would like to offer that each guest be given two tickets to be used at the bar where we will pick up the expense. If they want any drink beyond, they must pay. We don't want people getting skunk drunk at our reception" Amy offered, Sheldon looked down at Amy nodding agreement.

"And Koothrappali, make sure they have sodas and bottled water available as well. I want to make sure that anyone that doesn't want to drink alcohol has some other choices" Sheldon added.

"Do you want sit-down or buffet for your meal?" Raj asked. "Sit-down is much more formal and nicer, but then complicates dietary issues. Buffet is easier for dealing with a group of people that may have special dietary needs, but makes for a busier bustle in the room and is less formal."

"What do you think, Sheldon?" Amy asked, looking up at him.

"Hmmm….I have never been big on buffets as you know. I believe they are far less sanitary and leave room for people to be touching your food" Sheldon replied.

"Okay, Rajesh, I believe we should go with sit-down. By the way, children are not invited…I just wanted to toss that out there…so we don't need to be concerned with them."

"Good Lord, no. Amy is right. No children. I don't want them running around knocking over my Mee-Maw, putting their dirty little hands on the cake, tripping the dancers or squealing and/or crying all over the place. Sheldon shuddered at the thought.

"Rajesh, start pricing out the meal options and let's talk in two days. Sheldon and I will be flying back late tomorrow and we can all get together the next night and perhaps iron out any other outstanding details then. Is that okay with your schedule?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, sure. Hey, Dude?" Raj then gave Sheldon two thumbs up, making an assumption that Sheldon wished he hadn't.

"Good day, Koothrappali" Sheldon huffed as he disconnected the call. "I know he is supposed to be good at arranging soirée's but honestly that man sometimes leaves his brain in the garbage dump" Sheldon uttered in disgust.

"It wasn't that bad. The only part that was in poor taste we nixed right at the beginning of the conversation" Amy defended.

"Hmmm… I suppose you are right" Sheldon sighed. He looked at Amy for a couple of moments and then asked "So I called my mother. I have no idea how, but she found out about my earlier purchase this morning and boy did I get the riot act" Sheldon confided.

"How in the world did she find out about you buying condoms?" Amy was shocked. She also was a little fearful that her future mother-in-law might think less of her.

"I wish I knew. I can't imagine one of the Pasadena gang calling her and telling her. Maybe she knew someone at the store where I bought them?" he shrugged.

"Oh great, now I am going to have my future mother-in-law think I am a tramp" Amy pouted.

"No, she won't think that. I set her straight. Mee-Maw was with her, I could tell she was being a voice of reason to Mom. Mom knows that I don't intend for us to return home tonight as well." Sheldon revealed.

Smacking her forehead with the palm of her hand, Amy said "Great, now she definitely is going to think I am a tramp" Amy lamented.

"No, Amy, she knows that nothing is going to happen. I told her how distraught you were. I told her we got a hotel here and that you needed to sleep and just relax from the news you got. She knows you are upset about your heritage and with all the wedding planning, you have been under a lot of stress. I told her I would be a perfect gentleman and that nothing would happen that would upset Jesus."

Amy sighed and shrugged "okay. I just don't want your mother or Mee-Maw to think less of me. They have been so generous with their love and I would hate to lose that" Amy explained.

"I know, but you won't lose it. Would you like for me to see if they want to meet us for an early dinner somewhere?" Sheldon offered.

"You know, Sheldon I think it might be a good idea if we did. I want to be able to explain what I am going through, and actually, I wouldn't mind getting some advice from them." Amy concurred.

"Okay, I will give her a call." Sheldon picked up his phone and placed a call again to his mother.

"Shelly? Is something wrong?" Mary asked with concern in her voice.

"Mom, Amy and I are wondering if you and Mee-Maw could maybe meet us for dinner somewhere either in Sulpher Springs or Mount Pleasant…or for that matter if there is anywhere between…that would work too? She said she wants to talk to you both and is hoping to get some advice from you." Sheldon inquired.

"Well let's see, it is around 3 now…when did you want to meet up, Shelly?"

"Whatever works for you. We thought an early dinner would be nice, that would give you time to get home before it gets too dark and traffic gets too bad" Sheldon replied.

"Okay, well if you don't mind comin' to Sulphur Springs, there is a really cute little Mexican restaurant that we can meet at on Shannon Road East, right off of Highway 30, say around 4?" Mary suggested.

Sheldon put his hand over the phone and asked Amy "will 4 in Sulphur Springs, Mexican food work for you?" Amy nodded her consent and got up to freshen up. "Yes, that works fine, Mom. See you at 4." Sheldon ended the call. He walked over to where Amy was brushing her teeth and teased "Quit hogging the sink." He bumped her aside as he picked up his toothbrush and began to brush his teeth. She giggled and bumped him back out of the way as she spit out the lather from her teeth, nearly choking from laughter.

Amy picked up her hair brush and brushed her hair and reset the clip in her hair. She looked at her image and realized that she looked pretty bad. She had puffy eyes that also had some discoloration and her skin looked paler than normal. If someone didn't know her circumstance, they would think she was really ill. "That's as good as it is going to get" she sighed.

Sheldon spit out his toothpaste and looked up at her. "Well if you were to ask me, I would say that I was looking at a true beauty." He took her in his arms and gave her a passionate kiss. Pulling away, she giggled and pointed to his hair. He looked like Denis the Menace with a piece of his hair sticking straight up. He tamed his hair, borrowing her brush, which surprised Amy. He would never borrow anything so personal from anyone. She was flattered in an odd way.

Checking his image, he nodded and said "Let's go. We want to get there in time to get proper seating" Sheldon said as he walked over grabbing his keys, the room key and his phone. They left the room, making sure to keep the "do not disturb" sign still hanging on the door. Sheldon didn't want anyone going in the room since their laptops were still there. Taking her hand they head down to the lobby and out to their rental car.


	13. Chapter 13: A Frank Conversation

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters._

Sheldon and Amy walked into the restaurant. They were a bit early so Sheldon gave the hostess instructions that his mother and Mee-Maw were yet to arrive then gave her specifics about where he wanted their table to be located. He also asked about what temperature they kept the refrigerators and at what temperature the main dishes were prepared. The young woman stared at him as if he were out of his mind. "Let me go see what tables are available" she said and walked off shaking her head. A couple of minutes later, Amy noticed the girl telling some of the wait staff and pointing their direction. Everyone bust up laughing and then appeared to all be shaking their heads and waving their hands "no". Amy thought it probably was them all saying "not my station." The hostess returned and after counting out four menus, asked that they follow her back to where she seated them.

Amy was fidgeting. "Sheldon, I am worried your mother is going to be upset with me…and assume the worst" Amy though… thinking back about Mary's knowledge about the condoms.

"If she is going to be upset, Amy it will be with me. She has to learn to trust me" Sheldon responded.

"Sheldon, I need to visit the ladies room. I will be back in a few minutes" Amy excused herself.

Sheldon nodded and began perusing the menu. Amy had only been gone a couple of minutes when Mary and Mee-Maw were being shown to the table.

"Shellybean, where's Amy?" Mary asked, eyeing him with a perplexed expression as she helped Mee-Maw be seated and took her own seat.

"She needed to use the facilities" Sheldon replied. He looked at his watch and realized that Amy had been a while and began to frown.

In the bathroom, Amy sat in a stall and rocked back and forth. She was nervous, upset and feeling a bit squeamish. She decided to give Penny a quick call. She knew that Penny knew Mary better than her, plus she wanted to set her straight on a few things.

"Hey Ames, what's up? Penny answered.

"Bestie? First, I wanted to correct you on some misinformation. Yes… Sheldon bought some condoms, but we are not having sex until our wedding. He only bought them on a whim and quote _just in case_. So can you tell the guys to quit spreading rumors?"

"Uh…sure" Penny could tell Amy was upset.

"Second, do you know if anyone called Sheldon's mother and told her about the condoms?"

Penny laughed and said "not unless they were mad at Sheldon…no, no one called her that I am aware of."

"Are you sure? She somehow found out about them and I am sitting in a stall in the bathroom at a restaurant where we are supposed to meet up with she and Mee-Maw" Amy's stress level was rising as she relayed this information.

"Calm down, Ames" Penny said. "You and Sheldon are both over 30 years old. There isn't much she can do about what you both decide to do. You are both consenting adults."

"Bestie, she is going to think I am a floozy" Amy's voice rose as she spoke.

"She isn't going to think that, Ames. She knows you and Sheldon are engaged and committed to each other. She could be slightly upset, but she isn't going to think that about you" Penny tried to persuade. Penny realized that Amy seemed far more stressed than normal and continued "Ames, you seem very upset and I know you normally wouldn't be this upset and actually would find it..what is that word you always use…titillating to have Mary think of you as a floozy. What gives? Is there something else going on that I don't know about?"

Amy took a few deep breaths and finally, in a near whisper replied "Yes. I found out that I have been lied to my whole life by my father. It's a long story and I will tell you about it when we get back, but it has rattled me in a big way. And then Sheldon..Penny?"

"Yeah Ames?"

"Sheldon has been so….well horny…I mean he is loving and attentive and sweet and I can't complain…but I am feeling sort of pressured by him" Amy confided. "Please make sure he doesn't find out about this. You have to promise me on your life that you will not tell anyone I said that."

"I promise you I won't tell a soul and I mean it, Amy. But isn't that what you have been wanting? I mean I thought you wanted to have sex with him? Penny asked confused.

"I…I…well..yes…I mean…I definitely want to someday and he definitely gets my motor running…I mean I get easily aroused by him" Amy was having trouble explaining herself because she was even surprised by her sudden fear and reluctance on the matter. "I want to be with him, yes, but….you know what? It isn't important. I have to get to the table. Sheldon is going to start to worry and come looking for me, or worse send his mother in to look for me" Amy quickly wanted to end the call.

"OK..but you know I am here for you. You can talk to me about anything and I promise I won't say a word to anyone about what you said" Penny reassured.

"Thanks, Bestie. You are the best. If I don't talk to you before, I will see you the day after tomorrow."

"Ok…By, Amy."

Amy ended the call. She walked over to one of the sinks and washed her hands and tried to pinch her cheeks which were looking rather wan. She stood there holding the vanity top for a few minutes, slightly bent over and then finally made her exit back to the table.

Slowly approaching the table with her shoulders slouched and looking quite ill, Amy pulled out her chair and sat next to Sheldon. "Good evening Mama Mary and Mee-Maw" she said quietly giving a very slight smile that never reached her eyes. She looked afraid, sad, ill..well she just looked like a whole different person than when she first arrived in Texas.

Mee-maw studied her and grew very worried. "Sugar, it is a good evening because we are together and I am glad for that" she tried to cheer her.

Mama Mary eyed Amy and was stunned at what she saw. She felt horrible and looked over at Sheldon who was doting over Amy. "Amy, here. I heard that the tacos el carbon are quite tasty" he pointed to their entry on her menu.

Amy nodded and kept looking at the selection, wishing she could just go back to the room and lie down. She really had worked herself up and she wasn't even sure why.

"Amy dear, Shelly said you were not able to spend much time looking at more information on your daddy today. Are you doing okay? You don't look too good" Mary was concerned.

"Actually, no, I am not doing very well" Amy shrugged. "I am worried about so many things, but most of all the wedding right now."

Sheldon snapped his head and looked at her "what about the wedding? You aren't thinking of backing out?" suddenly worried she was going to break up with him.

"No, Sheldon, I want to marry you. But with a wedding come wedding guests and well…with all this new information about my father and the woman I have known my whole life as my mother…I am just…just"

"Confused. Sugar, of course you are. You are wondering whether you should invite them and if so will there be a scene?" Mee-Maw, using her mind-reading skills again, interrupted.

Amy nodded "Yes, I mean what if it ends up a fiasco. It should be a day that Sheldon and I can share as beautiful and perfect and that we can look back on and smile thinking about it. But what if it ends up a big confrontation with them? I…I…" Amy's eyes that had been welling up started to drop tears and her lips trembled. She couldn't finish the sentence.

Sheldon pulled her into as much of an embrace as was possible while seated in two different chairs and began to stroke her hair.

Mary looked to Mee-Maw and whispered "Mom, I am so worried about her. She is normally a very strong woman with a perky personality. This is really troubling me. I so much want her to know she can lean on us."

"Sweetie, you have to tell her. She can't read your mind. After your call to Moonpie earlier today, she probably is embarrassed that you don't approve of her" Mee-Maw leaned in and responded.

Mary had not even thought about that since the matter had been settled and she did trust the kids. Looking at Amy now she knew how far off she really was about them.

She got up from her chair and said, "Shelly, I would like to talk to Amy. I am going to take her to the bathroom. I know they have a small little love seat in there that she can sit on more comfortably" Mary took control.

Sheldon wasn't sure. He wanted to make sure that Mary wasn't going to accuse Amy of wrong doing. "Mom, what are you going to do? I don't want you upsetting her any more than she already is" Sheldon protected.

"I am not gonna upset her. I think she could use a Mama right now" she reassured.

Sheldon eyed his mother and while he was not always good at understanding others' emotions, he could tell his mother was concerned about Amy. He finally agreed. "Amy, I think Mom is right. You probably could use a motherly shoulder to lean on right now and I am right here if you need me" Sheldon encouraged.

Mary helped Amy up and they went off to the rest room. "Sugar, come sit down over here" Mary guided as she helped her to the loveseat. "I feel like you've got a whole lot of questions buildin' inside of ya and they are overwhelming you" Mary tried to persuade her to confide in her. She pulled Amy into a hug and let her rest her head on her shoulder while doing so. "Go ahead and use me as a soundin' board. I promise I won't judge. I may not know what to suggest, but you need to get all that out of ya."

Amy tried to formulate thoughts and words for a few minutes, then began "I just don't know what I should do, Mama Mary. I feel like I know my father's secret and yet I don't know how to let him know that I know" Amy started. "I don't want to suddenly at the wedding have it come out…I mean…should I actually meet up with he and my mother, or the woman that claims to be my mother and just tell them what I know? I am not real good with confrontations that bear such a huge impact on my own life."

"Sugar, I think you will have to meet with them shortly after you and Shelly get back home, but make sure to take him with you. He will be your strength and will help you get through it" Mary suggested. "I think you and Shellybean should continue your research because it might help you before you meet, but…I mean, your daddy has to know that the internet has information that can be found. It isn't like he can hide it. He was foolish to have assumed you wouldn't be lookin' someday about your family."

"I suppose, but like I said, it was never discussed or encouraged in my home. He probably thought I wouldn't care because he and my mother set an example of not showing any concern for such information" Amy reasoned.

"That may be true, but he knows you and Shelly are gettin' married soon and…well I would hope givin' us all grandbabies. That is when you start to wonder about family, ya know?" Mary looked to make sure Amy nodded her understanding. Mary continued, upon seeing her acknowledge, "You look at your babies and you start to see different family members in them. For example, Missy has a lot of Mee-Maw in her, but she also has a lot of George's older sister Edna in her. If you don't know your real past, then how can you see those things? That is part of the fun of being a parent and part of helpin' kids know who they are as well."

"I know, and I guess that is why I cannot believe Father never revealed this to me. I can see possibly not telling me when I was a little girl, but once I became old enough to handle the information, you would have thought he would have told me" Amy tried to explain the reason she was feeling betrayed.

"Sugar, I have no idea why your daddy did what he did, but he is a person just like you are. He has fears and gets afraid just like you do." Mary rocked Amy back and forth as she spoke. She took a few minutes and then continued "You know, I had my fears this mornin' when I got the call from Annie that she saw Shelly buyin' those Devil-made condoms."

Amy tensed up as soon as she heard the word. She really didn't want to have this conversation and she was afraid Mary was going to accuse her of being cheap.

Mary continued on though, "I was scared that my Shelly was going to tempt you into sinnin' but it was my fear talkin'. I know my boy and what is just as important is, I think I am a pretty good judge of character, and that just didn't seem like somethin' you would do. Ya'all has been very respectful of me and my house rules and I just couldn't see it. Once Shelly reassured me, I got my senses back."

Amy eased up and continued to allow Mary to comfort her.

"I am glad you don't think I am a cheap hussy" Amy confided. "I have to admit that I was nervous coming here to meet you and Mee-Maw. I felt like I was walking the walk of shame even though I had not done anything wrong. Sheldon has been a perfect gentleman to me."

"I know, Sugar, and for heaven's sake, don't trouble yourself about it. I think you are a fine woman and I am thrilled Shelly is marryin' ya" Mary shared.

"Mama Mary, can I confide something? It 's sort of embarrassing" Amy timidly asked…not convinced she wanted to have this conversation.

"Why of course, Sugar."

"I know I may have teased Sheldon in the past and tried to…well….entice him…but it was more when he was still all shut up and repressed" Amy started. "I was just trying to get him to loosen up and well to give me some affection. But to be honest, once he started letting his feelings flood forth, I started getting a little scared. See I was a lot of talk, but with no experience" Amy blushed.

"Ummm…okay" Mary wasn't sure where she was going with this.

"I want to be with your son…you know…when we are married…I mean be a full wife in every way to him…but I am scared. I mean, I don't want to ask you something too personal, but you are a woman and can relate I think." Amy had to get this out of her. It had been stewing for days and Mary was the only person that she felt oddly comfortable enough asking about this.

Meanwhile back at the table, Sheldon and Mee-Maw were wondering how Amy was doing. "Mee-Maw, you don't think Mom is going to bring up my indiscretion to Amy, do you? When I told her that Mom found out about my early morning purchase, which was a silly mistake anyway..."

"Moonpie, I don't think it was foolish at all. You are a man and know your limits. You were just trying to be responsible should things get a little carried away. I don't fault you for that" Mee-Maw interrupted.

Sheldon blushed and continued "thank you for understanding Mee-Maw, but what I was going to say is that when Amy found out that Mom learned of my purchase, she felt Mom would think less of her and she was worried sick about it. Actually it is sort of interesting because for a while Amy used to make all kinds of innuendos and implications. But once I kissed her for the first time and, well…I started to become aware of my attraction for her, she has backed away. It is the oddest thing" Sheldon pondered.

"Moonpie, Amy is a virgin, right?"

"Yes. She too is a virgin" Sheldon confided.

"Well, Moonpie I think she may have talked the talk to get you to open up your feelings for her, but once you finally returned the feelings she has had for a while for you, it kind of scared her because now she knows that you are very capable of acting on those feelings" Mee-Maw started. "See, she is inexperienced and well for girls, they take everything to heart. Men, well they don't worry about such matters. They do want to know they satisfy their woman, but they don't worry that they might not get things right and look foolish. Their hormones kick in and they just allow hormones to get in the driver's seat. They just follow nature. Women though, they are all about romance and when they want to finally give themselves to the man they love, they get scared because they don't want him to dislike them or disrespect them after. Amy has been a virgin for 30 some years now and I bet built a shelter around herself for years before she met you. You brought out the hormones in her that she has brought out in you. But they scare her more because she wants to please you" Mee-Maw explained.

Sheldon was turning redder by the moment having this conversation with his grandmother. He loved this woman so much, but this was a talk on sex and he had never really needed to ever have this kind of conversation with anyone, much less her before. Pondering what she said, he finally replied "I guess I never considered that she might be scared because she had acted for months like she really wanted to have intercourse. She even suggested it several times, but that was before I knew of how attracted I was to her. Well I might have known, but I wasn't willing to admit it to myself or anyone else. I would just stuff those feelings inside and try and keep them under control."

Mee-Maw patted his hand and said "I am so thankful you met a young lady that could finally bring those kind of feelings out in you. You have a lot to give a woman Moonpie and I think your girl has a lot she can give you as well. She adores you…I can see it in her face. Be good to her, Moonpie. I know she will be good to you. She has already shown her loyalty to you by not giving up on you by now."

"I plan to be the best husband I can possibly be and be the man she deserves, Mee-Maw." Sheldon continued "I love her so much, Mee-Maw that sometimes it hurts. I am hurting right now because she is in such pain over her family situation. I want to fix it and sometimes I just don't know how."

"I know Moonpie…I know."

Back in the bathroom, after Amy had just told Mary that she wanted to ask her something that may be a bit personal, Mary still was confused, "yes…what are you tryin' to ask, Sugar."

"Well…when you were young and it was your first time….how did you get over your fear of…well everything? I mean did it hurt and did you like it? What if he doesn't like it and is stuck with me legally or the reverse, what if I don't like it and find I don't like…well intimacy in that way?" Amy was surprising even herself that she was asking Sheldon's mom these kind of questions. "I mean Sheldon and I have shared an intimacy of the mind and love being with each other even in total silence, but being together physically in an intimate way…I just don't know what to expect."

"Sugar, the good Lord put you and my Shelly together and He never makes mistakes. You two are gonna be just fine. Now I ain't gonna lie, it may be painful the first night and even a day or two after. Good Lord, George was…well, I will just tell you that if my son inherited his daddy's attributes, you may be a bit sore for a while" Mary said and winked at Amy, whose eyes grew wide. "I will tell ya this is a bit creepy, in a way, to be talkin' about because he is my son, but I think you and Shelly are gonna be fine. He adores ya and remember, he ain't got no experience neither" Mary reminded.

Continuing, Mary rambled on more "Shelly and you will work it out together. You will tell each other what you like and don't like. You will start to find things that will thrill you and other things that you will tell him "no, not like that" and that's okay. Every couple has to work these things out. But trust me, you will."

Amy pondered this for a while. "Do you think Sheldon will..you know how he was so afraid of germs and stuff…do you think he won't be able to…you know…perform?" Amy turned beet red.

"Sugar, he is a man and I ain't never seen a man not be able to perform as you call it. If they had their way, they'd be stickin' it in ya all the time" Mary laughed, while still a bit embarrassed herself. Amy giggled and Mary's frankness.

"Oh, Sugar, it is good to hear you laugh again" Mary smiled.

Amy pulled out of her embrace and leaned over and kissed Mary on the cheek. "I am so glad I can have you as a Mom, especially now that I am so confused. You have really helped me a lot and I am so sorry I had to get so personal. I appreciate your frankness" Amy expressed her gratitude.

"Sugar, I will admit it was a bit…well strange…but I feel honored you felt you could come to me and talk about anything. It shows you trust me and who knows Shelly more than you, me and Mee-Maw?" Mary assured. "I am glad you felt you could come to me and ask me anything and I want you to always feel that way, even when my Shelly is actin' up, and believe me, he will be from time to time" Mary winked.

Amy rubbed her eyes, yawned and stretched and then suggested "I am feeling much better now. Sheldon is going to worry. Let's get back. I am sure you are starving and I am actually feeling a bit hungry now" Amy suggested.

"Sounds good to me and I am glad you are feelin' better, Sugar" Mary gave her a quick sideways hug when they both stood up. The two of them left and headed back to the table.

Sheldon got up and moved Amy's chair out for her and helped her get seated then went over to his Mom's chair and did the same for her.

"Thank you, Sheldon" Amy said and smiled at him. He returned to his chair and leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips and said "is everything all right? Are you feeling better?" He looked at her with hopeful eyes.

"Yes, much better. You mother helped me a lot. She gave me just the pep talk I needed" Amy said. Sheldon eyed his mother with curiosity.

"Shelly, you had better take good care of that precious little girl of yours there. She is a treasure" Mary instructed. "I am so proud to be able to call her my daughter." She winked at Amy.

"I know she is a treasure, Mom. She is my whole world" he said looking at Amy lovingly. They shared their usual exchange of" eye-coitus", as their friends called it and often teased them about.

Finally, Amy looked down and realized she that she had not had a chance to order. "Sheldon, did the wait person take orders yet? I am actually feeling rather hungry and Mama Mary, I don't believe has ordered yet either."

"No, Mee-Maw and I only ordered drinks for ourselves while we waited. She said she would return to take our order when she noticed that we had a full table again."

As if on cue, the waitress returned and asked what Mary and Amy wanted to drink and went off to get their drink orders. Within minutes she returned and served them their drinks, then took orders from everyone. A short while later their meals were served, and the foursome enjoyed a much lighter mood, good food, and entertaining conversation. Sheldon paid the bill and everyone said goodnight and departed, Mary reminding them to be at her house by 9:00 AM for breakfast. Amy and Sheldon drove back to their hotel room and Mary and Mee-Maw back to the Cooper house.


	14. Chapter 14: A Homecoming Surprise

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real._

_Author's Note: Guest, thank you for your comments on chapter 13. I am so happy you are enjoying the study._

Sheldon and Amy returned to the hotel room and flopped down on their bed for a few moments. "Amy, can I ask what you and Mom talked about when you were gone so long tonight? You don't have to tell me if you don't want, but as your husband, I don't want to have secrets between us" Sheldon asked.

"Well, I think you meant soon-to-be-husband, but I like the sound of husband better, so will ignore that detail. Honestly, I was just asking your mother how to avoid a scene at the wedding with my family and whether I should invite them. I also wanted to get her advice on how to approach the subject with them." She shrugged. She didn't want to reveal that the majority of their talk was about sex with him.

"Can I ask you another question" Sheldon hesitantly asked.

"Of course. I'm listening" Amy wasn't sure why he suddenly seemed timid.

"Are you afraid of me for some reason?" Sheldon finally asked after taking a few moments to formulate the words.

"Afraid of you? I don't understand. Why would I be afraid of you" Amy was puzzled.

"So you are not afraid of me about anything?" he pushed.

Amy studied him and was not sure why he would have that impression. "Not that I can think of…where is this coming from Sheldon? Have I done something that makes you feel like I am afraid of you?"

"No, you have not done a thing to make me think that. Never mind. It was just something Mee-Maw and I were talking about" Sheldon tried to brush it off.

"You and Mee-Maw? Why does she think I am afraid of you? Does she think that?"

"No, she doesn't think that at all…well…see I was asking her if she thought Mom would be…you know…sort of yelling at you about the condom purchase I made. And well…it kind of led to a conversation about us…you know…making love" Sheldon blushed, ears turning bright red, cheeks almost matching.

Amy thought she might be catching on. Mee-Maw was good at reading minds and if her intuition was right, Mee-Maw sensed Amy's fear of the first time, similar to the conversation she had with Mama Mary. "And she suggested I might be afraid of making love to you?" Amy softly interrupted.

"Umm…yeah…she suggested that you might be a little scared about it" Sheldon confided.

"Sheldon, it is scary for girls when it is their first time. So yes, I am a little afraid, but it does not mean that I don't want to and it doesn't mean that you don't get my motor running at full revved up speed" Amy reassured. She walked over to him and pulled him into a hug. "I just want you to be happy…you know…after we do it. I want to know you won't be unhappy and wish you hadn't married me."

"Amy, you are the love of my life. There is no way…I repeat…no way that I would not be happy. You make me happier than I have ever been before. I love your touch, the way you smell, the way you look, the taste of your kisses, there isn't a thing about you that would disappoint me" Sheldon soothed.

"Sheldon, I really feel the same way about you…but would you promise me that we will wait and do it right and make love the first time on our wedding night?" Amy asked, pulling back to look at him.

"Sure. I will promise you that. It will just make that all the more wonderful" he said pulling her back into an embrace. A few moments passed and then he said cheekily "but we can still play around some along the way to the wedding day, can't we?"

Amy giggled, pulled back slightly, and slapped his chest with her open hand. "You are such a horn dog, do you know that? Just another thing I love about you. It is rather titillating, and a bit scary at times, to know I have that kind of effect on you….but yes, we can make progress as we wait out the next couple of months" Amy finally answered.

"Make progress…I like you putting it that way" Sheldon grinned.

A few moments of just enjoying holding each other, finally Amy asked "Do you mind if we begin to look more into my family? I feel like I want to know as much as possible before we get back. You mother suggested we not wait too long before letting my Father know that I have learned the truth."

"Sure. Let me set up the computer." Sheldon pulled from their embrace and set up his laptop. He immediately brought up Google and Jane's name in the search bar and began showing Amy the two sites he had run across that had her professional information on them. "Ready to dig deeper?" he turned to Amy who had found Jane's information somewhat impressive but odd that it all stopped after the latter half of 1980. Amy nodded her consent. Sheldon then pulled up another site that had more personal information about Jane. They began reading together.

Sucking in her breath Amy exclaimed "They were having an affair?"

Sheldon looked at her and made sure she was able to handle more. "Yes, it appears your father and Jane were lovers since 1976, even before he married Iona. They were colleagues and lovers. Your father met Jane in 1975 where he was on a Fellowship and she was assigned to assist him with some research. They fell in love evidently because he then went to the UK and it appears she followed him there."

"Sheldon, I don't understand. Why did he marry Iona if he was in love with Jane and having an affair with her before, and obviously during, the marriage to Iona?" a confused Amy asked.

"That is a mystery. We will probably have to dig a lot more to figure it all out" Sheldon replied while still studying the screen. "Jane took a research position at a hospital in Scotland. It was while there she published quite a few papers and made some minor noise in the neurosciences community. It appears that Jane went to work for your father sometime during the latter part of Iona's pregnancy" Sheldon continued reading. "It says that she became a caregiver to a close friend's wife who was struggling with health issues during her pregnancy."

"Sheldon, this is creepier and creepier. Do you think they were a three-some?" Amy shuddered at the mere thought.

Sheldon brought up another tab in his browser and typed in Iona's name and began to look for personal information on her again. "Maybe we can piece it together by looking at both women's information at the same time."

Amy looked over at Sheldon who looked like he was completely immersed and fascinated with the task of uncovering a mystery. Giggling she said "you love playing Sherlock, don't you?" She was tickled at his enthusiasm.

"Well…not always, but in this case, yes. Perhaps I should buy myself one of those curved pipes and get a hat and matching cloak" he teased back, although his eyes remained focus on the hunt. After a few moments Sheldon pointed to his screen, "It says here that Iona was acquainted with Jane and that Jane was her caregiver in the latter half of her pregnancy, so that is consistent."

"Is there anything else?" Amy asked, looking over his shoulder.

"No, not really. On Jane's personal profile it just says that in 1982 she married your father, but there is a lot of information missing from late 1980 until they married. But it does state that after numerous attempts to have children, Jane learned she was barren."

"Which means that is why she wanted to raise me?" Amy pondered.

"Evidently yes, it does state that in January 1983 she formally adopted the child of the lateIona Amy Fowler."

"Well at least she had the decency to not change my first name" Amy considered.

After spending several more hours searching, both Sheldon and Amy felt their efforts were becoming fruitless and decided to retire for the evening.

"Let's wear our new matching jammies" Sheldon suggested, pulling out his pair and heading for the bathroom. Amy nodded and pulled her pair out.

After their nightly routines, they crawled into bed and snuggled, sharing passionate kisses. It wasn't long before they fell asleep from a very long and emotional roller-coaster of a day.

In Pasadena, Penny woke up early, especially for her. She rubbed her eyes and looked over at Leonard who was still sound asleep. Crawling out of bed, she walked out to the kitchen and put on a pot of coffee to brew. She went over and sat on the leather couch, making sure to avoid Sheldon's spot. She smirked a bit as she looked at his spot, but her eyes showed a concern. Ever since Amy's call, Penny had been concerned. She knew something just wasn't right about Amy when she called. She also wondered how Sheldon's mother found out about his purchase of the condoms. _God, I hope she is all right._ She also was surprised about Amy's comment that she never finished. _Amy was scared of having sex with Sheldon?_ Penny thought about it and could not figure out what was bothering Amy so much. _And what was that about her father_?

Penny continued to be deep in thought when Leonard strolled out "You're up? What time is it?"

Startled out of her reverie, Penny looked across toward the microwave and said "6:30 in the morning"

"Penny is up at 6:30 in the morning? Wait…is an apocalypse coming today that I don't know about?" Leonard said sarcastically. "Seriously, what's getting you up so early?" Leonard poured himself a cup of coffee and one for Penny as well, handing it to her.

"Thanks." Penny responded to him handing her the coffee. "I just had a lot on my mind after talking with Amy yesterday" Penny continued. Looking up at Leonard, she knew she couldn't betray what Amy had told her so she led off with "Do you know if anyone called Mary and told her about Sheldon buying condoms?"

Leonard spit out his coffee nearly choking. Wiping his mouth he looked over at Penny and could see she was serious. "Umm..no, I am pretty sure Howard and Raj don't have her number even so they would have had to ask you or I for the number, which they didn't ask me…so no, I don't see how they would have called. Why? Did she find out somehow?"

"Yes, and I think Amy was about to be stuck in the middle of a confrontation about it with Sheldon and his Mom. She called me while at a restaurant to ask me who told her and that Mary was just about to arrive to meet up with she and Sheldon and she knew about the condoms" Penny confirmed.

"Whoa…poor Sheldon. The guy was freaked out just asking us about condom purchases yesterday. I have no idea how Mary found out. I don't even know if he actually had the nerve to buy them, for that matter" Leonard considered. After pondering for a couple of moments he continued "so do you think that things were going to get ugly? I mean they were in a public restaurant, right?"

"Yes, but Amy seemed upset. The thing is…get this…I don't even think it was really even about that" Penny weighed. "She seemed too upset for that. I can't explain it. It was her mood and tone of her voice. Something was off and I just don't know what. "

"Maybe you can call her later, when it isn't so early in the morning" Leonard suggested. He didn't like Penny being so wrapped up in other people's problems.

Penny just nodded in agreement and sipped her cup of coffee. Leonard took a rag and looked for all the places the liquid he projected earlier landed, wiping them up. He didn't want another roommate lecture for letting liquid stand on hardwood floors and how liquid stains on the counters made the counters look dirty. He didn't need any more roommate strikes or he would be stuck taking another one of Sheldon's classes. He walked to the refrigerator and pulled out a bagel and put it in the toaster.

"So, sweetie, what do you have planned after you get off work today?" Penny asked.

Leonard finished chewing a bite of the bagel he had made himself and said "Well, I have to meet with an apartment manager to look at it to possibly rent" Leonard replied.

"Why? You didn't tell me you would be moving" Penny asked wide-eyed.

"I don't want to live here with a married couple" Leonard whined. "Sheldon and Amy will most likely want to live here, or at least I am guessing they will, so that means I have to find a new place to live."

"Are you sure they are going to live here? I mean, Sheldon might decide he wants to move into Amy's apartment, or maybe they will want to get a whole new place of their own" Penny suggested.

"Well he and I have never discussed it, but you know how he hates change. I just assumed he would want Amy moving in here so there was less of a change for him, which is why I called an made an appointment to look at a place I saw that was reasonable in monthly rental costs" Leonard explained.

"I think you should wait and talk to Sheldon about it first. He may be thinking you want to stay here and he may want to move in with Amy instead" Penny reasoned.

"Well, I will go ahead with the meeting tonight but not make any commitments until I talk to him, deal?"

"Yeah, I guess that works, but make sure to discuss it with him first before doing something drastic."

"When have I ever been drastic?" Leonard took offense.

With that they both snickered and moved toward each other for a kiss.

In Mount Pleasant, Texas…Sheldon woke to a sleeping Amy. He smiled down at her and kissed her gently on her rosy lips which were just barely separated. She looked peaceful compared to yesterday when she was so troubled in her sleep. Untangling from her, he tossed back the covers and got out of bed. Rummaging through his bag, he pulled out the day's clothes he had packed and headed for the bathroom to shower.

Amy woke up and heard the shower running. She lumbered out of bed and stretched. Looking for her bag, she wondered over to where it sat and pulled out her change of clothes that she had packed. She looked down at the pajamas she was wearing and gave a wide grin. "Let's put on our matching jammies" Sheldon had suggested the night before. He was like a little kid excited that he is matching his idol. She then thought about how sweet he was. He was so loving, and he didn't pressure her at all. It was as if he just wanted to them to be close and melded together, one heart beating together.

Opening the bathroom door, Sheldon came out holding his previously worn jammies in his hand and saw Amy standing at the foot of the bed holding her clothing to change into. "Oh you are up?" He set down what was in his hand and came over and pulled her into a hug. "Good morning, beautiful" he said as he leaned down and gave her a sweet, yet full-on kiss. "Are you feeling better today? You seem to have slept well and you have some color back" he observed.

Amy kissed the tip of his nose and pulled away and gathered her things. "Yes Sheldon, I feel a whole lot better today. But I want to shower so we can get to your mother's house on time" Amy said as she head for the bathroom.

"Oh right, yes, go ahead and get showered. I will finish packing up my things and be ready when you are done." With that they went about readying themselves to check out of the hotel and head back to Mary's.

Amy and Sheldon spent the morning at the Cooper home and enjoyed visiting with Mee-Maw, Mary and Missy. George Jr. dropped by briefly to wish them well until the wedding, when he would see them next, and then to head back to his family. Amy related the rest of what they learned the night before about her family to the women. None of the women could make heads or tails of the information. They all just shook their heads amazed and baffled. Missy informed Amy that she would come out earlier than the other two to help with any last minute wedding things. Amy had asked her to be in the wedding as well. She and Amy had already ordered her dress by phone to match the other two girls. She would get it altered locally in Texas and bring it with her when she came out in early February.

Sheldon and Amy then left for the airport after giving hugs, kisses, and thank yous to everyone and began their journey back home to Pasadena, feeling a bit sad they had to leave. They had had a wonderful visit with Sheldon's family and Amy enjoyed the support she got. She rarely had been doted over so she relished her visit.

After the flight home, collecting baggage, and with the time difference, it was nearly 9 PM by the time they left the airport to head back to Amy's apartment. Sheldon decided he would rather stay at her place since they were already tired from travel and it was past his normal bedtime. He also didn't want to be around anyone else but Amy for the night.

Settling in and having changed into their night-time clothing, Amy made them a cup of Chamomile tea and brought over a plate of store-bought cookies she still had in her apartment for them to share. They decided they would cuddle up on the couch and just enjoy the peace.

Amy began to look through her mail and noticed a large envelope from the County Recorder's office. Frowning in puzzlement she began to open the document "I wonder what this could be."

Looking up from letting his mind just wander on anything it wanted, Sheldon looked at what Amy held in her hand and was just as puzzled. "I guess we will know in a minute."

Amy pulled out the document and began to read "Deed of Trust" and then turned to Sheldon "It…it…it's a deed to a piece of property of some sort" she remarked. She re-examined the envelope and sure enough it had her name on the outside.

Looking over her shoulder Sheldon began to read, "It appears that you have been granted a deed in this county and city to a residence." He looked up at her puzzled.

"I don't understand. I never have owned any property my whole life. How did this happen?" Amy puzzled. "Sheldon, you are an owner of it as well, according to the deed. It has yours and my name on it and it…actually it has my name after we marry on it" Amy revealed.

"Seriously? I am on the deed as well?" Sheldon got up and walked over to Amy's computer and realized he had to have her log on. Frustrated, he then walked back to his shoulder bag and pulled out his laptop. He turned it on and wait for it to boot up.

"What are you doing, Sheldon?" She asked why she still studied the document.

"I am going to Google the property. With Satellite view we can get a look at it" Sheldon replied.

Amy studied the document looking for any lead as to how she ended up getting a deed to a piece of property but there was nothing other than a brief canned letter from the County stating that they were owners free and clear.

Growing more excited about being land owners, yet still very confused, Amy's enthusiasm increased. "Did you find it?" she asked Sheldon.

"Yes, I am zooming in to see if we can get a better idea…Oooo..look. It looks like a cute bungalow, craftsman style kind of house" Sheldon commented. " Looks like it might have been built in the early 1900's, maybe 1910" he continued pointing to the screen. "I wonder if it has been updated" Sheldon continued. "Did you get keys with the package?"

Amy looked at the envelope again and then the letter that accompanied the Deed. "No, but in the letter it tells us that we can pick up keys from Anderson & Kelley, Esq. Law Firm. It looks like it is down the street from your apartment" Amy mentioned. "I guess I will call them tomorrow and see if I can pick up the keys sometime tomorrow. Once I get the keys, do you want to go check out the place with me?"

"Yes, of course. Amy, if it is nice, and if this is indeed not a mistake, do you realize that you might be holding the deed to our new home…you know…to move into after we are married in February?" Sheldon was getting excited about the prospect of starting married life in their own home that was fully paid for. They would be the first couple in their group to actually own their own home.

"Is it in a decent part of town?" Amy asked.

"Yes, in fact, it is rather upscale, based on the Satellite view. It looks like it could be a street that Golden Hollywood stars used to live on" Sheldon remarked. "It has a charming little lot. Look at the photo. See how manicured the lawns are and all of the shrubs are well maintained. It looks like it might even have roses. It also appears to be on a quiet street that looks like it has been turned into a dead-end street."

"Sheldon, I can see you out there pruning our bushes and mowing the lawn" Amy giggled. "Somehow I suspect we might have to hire a gardening service."

"Excuse me, I grew up mowing lawns. In fact for two summers in a row, I had a lawn mowing business to make money to help me buy books for college when I was 11 and 12. I actually made a lot of money mowing and raking leaves and pruning back bushes and hedges" Sheldon boast.

"I didn't know you had it in you" Amy looked at him totally shocked, "you never cease to amaze me with your vast number of skills."

"Oh stop. I might be able to bake fairly well, but you are an amazing cook and you always keep your apartment spotless" Sheldon returned the compliment.

Amy looked up all excited. "I hadn't thought about that, but what a wonderful way for us to start out our marriage, without the burden of trying to scrimp and save for a house. We will already own one! Oh I can't wait to go furniture shopping and decorate it" Amy started dreaming about the house.

Sheldon thought about it and was having his own set of dreams. Suddenly he frowned, "But I still don't understand where the house came from. I mean Deeds to property just don't fall out of the sky. Someone had to have been behind the purchase of the home, and has to know that we are getting married soon."

Amy's face turned pale and suddenly it hit her, anger building up and her dreams suddenly flew out the window "Sheldon, the only person I know that can afford to buy us a house without a second thought would be my Father. If this is from him, we cannot accept it…not after he lied to me all my life."

"Amy be rational, I know you are hurt about his lying and I definitely am going to have a man to man talk with him about that and give him a piece of my mind, but this is a wonderful opportunity for us" Sheldon pleaded, not so ready to give up the dream of being first in their group to have a house. "It seems a small price for him to have to pay for what he did."

"No I refuse to accept anything from him. It would be like he was trying to buy my forgiveness" Amy stood her ground.

Sheldon decided to see if he could pull up past information on the house from the County assessor's office. "Oh good, look Amy, we can pull up who has been a past owner of the house and the current owner by looking up tax records" he said, pulling up the property address.

"Really? So you can tell if it was my father that was the immediate owner before us?" Amy asked, trying to fight her growing hope.

"Yes. It says it is owned by us..see it has our names listed and prior to us it was owned by a Tavish MacGregor, from Broxburn, Scotland." Sheldon turned to Amy wide-eyed "Iona's last name was MacGregor." Sheldon looked at the screen again "he owned the house for over 50 years before putting it in our names, it appears, and was always current on paying taxes."

Amy looked at the screen wide-eyed and stunned. "But….I don't understand….but…but…but that must mean that someone from her family is still in touch with Father?"

"It would seem so, because otherwise they are keeping tabs on you on their own." Sheldon shuddered at that because it made him feel vulnerable, like someone was spying on them.

"I…I…I can't process this right now, Sheldon" Amy needed time to try and make sense of it all.

Sheldon looked over at the clock and realized it was now near midnight and way past his normal bedtime. Tomorrow both of them would have to be returning to work and they needed to get to bed.

"Amy, it is late and we can look into this more tomorrow. I suggest that you go to the lawyers as planned and pick up the keys. Maybe they will know something and can help explain how it is possible that someone in a family you didn't even know you had has purchased a home for you." Sheldon's mind was replaying everything that happened since they walked in the door to Amy's apartment and then suddenly had another thought. "You know, Amy, someone was taking care of that house. We looked at the Satellite photo in Google maps and it was well manicured and appeared to be in tip-top shape from the photo. We will obviously get a better look tomorrow sometime, but it is curious."

Amy couldn't move. She just kept staring at the computer screen and was stunned at the news. She looked at the name Tavis MacGregor over and over. _Broxburn, Scotland…where the heck is that_? "Sheldon, where is Broxburn, Scotland?"

Sheldon went back to the tab with Google and looked up Broxburn, Scotland, after taking another minute to gaze at their new piece of property. He really did want things to work out that Amy would accept the property. For some reason he was very drawn to the house. It was perfect in his eyes. He eventually brought up the map of Scotland and they found Broxburn, near Edinburgh. "Well it appears like it might be a village not too far from Edinburgh. It looks like there are a lot of farms nearby as well as industrial parks. Based on the address on record, he appears to live not far from the Strathbrock and Kirkhill Woodlands. Looks pretty, actually."

Amy was glued to the screen, looking at the Satellite images Sheldon was showing her. She still felt like she was living in an alternative state…it just wasn't real…it was too far-fetched of a story. It was as if she were reading about someone else's life in a novel.

Sheldon looked up and realized that she was going to need to let this process. "I am going to shut down the laptop now so we can get to bed" he said, hoping she heard him. She was definitely zoned out.

After he put the screen down, she snapped out of it enough to say "Sheldon, we should get to bed", not even realizing he had just suggested that.

He smiled and stifled a giggle. "Yes, I think that is wise." The two of them locked up, turned off lights and head down the hall to Amy's room to turn in for the night. Neither were likely to get much sleep. Their minds were racing with possibilities, questions, and held too many mixed emotions.


	15. Chapter 15: An Astonishing Gift

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

As expected, Sheldon and Amy were woken by a blaring alarm clock far too early for their taste. Neither had slept very long. Most of the night, even after they were in bed, they kept talking about their dreams and the house. Amy rolled over and turned off the alarm.

"Ugh, I feel like I have been hit by a freight train" she said, rubbing sleep from her yes. "My eyes feel like they are being rubbed with sandpaper."

Sheldon had rolled onto his back and was rubbing his eyes at the same time "I know what you mean. I knew it was going to be hard to sleep, but I feel lousy." He looked over to Amy who was still trying to rally herself awake. "I'm sorry."

"For what?"

"For forgetting to give you a good morning kiss and tell you how beautiful you are" he leaned over and kissed her, lingering longer than normal on her lips. "You are beautiful, Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper."

Amy loved it when he called her that. It just melted her heart each time. "Good morning, hubby to be" she smiled. "I can't wait for February. It can't come soon enough. "

"I know what you mean, but in the meantime, I have to get up and shower and get ready for work so we can pay for our wedding" Sheldon teased.

"Yes, I have called the girls and asked them to meet me for lunch so we can synch up on wedding planning. I will call the lawyers first thing this morning and try to set an appointment to pick up the keys shortly before 5. Do you want to meet me there or at your apartment?"

"I think I had better meet you at the apartment. Make it around 6:30. I have to check in with Leonard and check my mail as well. So meet me there and then we can go eat and after go see our house" he nearly squealed with delight at the last thought of going to see a house that he now owned free and clear of any debt.

He could not wait to brag about it to his friends, especially Wolowitz. For some reason Wolowitz always got under his skin…maybe because of his success and making it to the altar first. He really did like Howard, and admired him, though he would never admit that to anyone. But there was something about the way Howard always bragged that rubbed Sheldon the wrong way. So now it would be his turn to boast and he could not wait. He wanted to make sure everything was on the up and up first though. He would wait to see what Amy would learn when she picked up the keys.

"Well don't get ahead of yourself. I want to make sure this is definitely not from my father before we get too excited" Amy warned. "Although, I am curious…who is Tavish MacGregor? I can't believe I forgot to have us look him up last night."

"I will do a search as soon as I get into the office and text you" Sheldon offered as he gathered up clothing from his emergency overnight bag stored in her closet. "I'll shower first, if that is okay then make breakfast for us while you get ready for work?"

"Sure, sounds good" Amy replied. "I'll go ahead and put a tea kettle on so I can have a cup of tea while I wait. Looking at the clock which read 6:45 AM, she decided it was too early to call Penny. "How do you think we should tell our friends about the house…I mean…if it is real and we can keep it that is?"

"Well, as you know, Howard is always bragging about the trip he took to space and being married and Bernadette's high paying job…so I want to return the favor. I feel I want the privilege of announcing it so I can watch him squirm a little that we have a great success of our own over and above all of our brilliant academic achievements, that is…which far surpass any of his achievements." Sheldon was never willing to admit that anyone could have greater achievement than him when it came to his profession. "In fact, I am tempted to have blown up and framed the cover with your article highlighted, along with one of the covers of my articles framed and show them that those will be displayed in our home" Sheldon continued to want to rub Wolowitz' nose.

Amy shook her head, but part of her agreed with Sheldon and felt they had every right to boast. "Okay, well, so when do we want the glory of sharing this information?"

"Let's sit on it a couple of days and keep it to ourselves. I want to come up with a plan" Sheldon was already thinking up many possible ideas. "It will be epic, that is all I can say."

Amy giggled and said "Go shower. Now when we are married and I can join you in the shower…that will be epic" she wiggled her brows up and down teasing him.

"Yes it will indeed be epic" Sheldon grinned back. "I must put that on my list of honeymoon activities."

Sheldon walked to the bathroom and turned on the water to warm up, closed the door and began to strip to step into the shower. Amy in the meantime went to the kitchen to put on a kettle. As the water was heating up, she went back over to the deed and just kept looking at it. She was hoping it would provide answers that would not come, other than she and Sheldon were now proud owners of a beautiful cottage in very nice neighborhood_. I wonder how much the house is worth? I better make sure to note that as another question to ask the Lawyers._

Hearing the kettle whir, she went to pour herself a cup of tea. Bringing it back to the couch she looked through the rest of her mail. Most of it was pure junk, and there were a couple of congratulatory cards from relatives that had been at her Father's house on Thanksgiving Day when Sheldon proposed. _Engagement pictures! Oh gosh, I need to get us engagement pictures_.

Sheldon opened the door, letting out steam and had his toothbrush in his mouth and a towel wrapped around him. "It's steamy in here, I had to open the door" he said sheepishly as Amy turned at the sound of his voice. She grinned as she eyed his perfect form, well to her he was perfect. "I don't mind the view at all" she teased. She kept admiring him for a couple of moments more and then turned back to look through the rest of her mail. _Nothing much to note_, she thought. Taking anything with her address on the outside that was junk, she shred the envelopes or literature. Then she tossed the rest in the paper recycle and went back to her room to gather her clothing for the day.

Sheldon dressed while she was in her room and came out and made himself a cup of tea. He then started going through her cupboards and refrigerator to look for what he could assemble for them to eat. Clanking pots and pans, Amy walked by and smiled at the sight and then went into the bathroom to shower and get ready for the day.

Once both had eaten, they cleaned up the kitchen and grabbed their respective bags and head out the door. In Amy's parking lot, Sheldon took out his keys and leaned over and kissed Amy "I'll text you what I find out and call you when I can" Sheldon said waving. Looking back he yelled "love you" and then climbed in his car as Amy yelled back to him "love you back."

Sheldon walked into his office and Alex welcomed him back. She informed him that Raj, Howard and Leonard were waiting for him in the office. "Oh great" he said sarcastically. While he had missed his friends, he really wasn't ready to face them yet.

Opening the door, he entered his office and immediately saw Raj sitting in his chair. "You're in my chair, get out" were the first words out of his mouth. Raj rolled his eyes and got out of Sheldon's chair "We are just here to welcome you back, dude" Raj shrugged.

"Hey, buddy, welcome back. How was Texas? How did it go telling your family?" Leonard asked Sheldon. He eyed Sheldon. After his conversation with Penny the day before, he wanted to see if there were signs that Sheldon was in trouble with his family at all.

"Things went very well. Mother and Mee-Maw fell in love with Amy and are thrilled about the union. Missy and Amy got on smashingly as well. Missy is coming in early February and staying to help out with the final details" Sheldon said, very animated as he spoke.

"All right let's get rid of the giant elephant in the room, so did you do it?" Howard turned and asked. He was always to the point when any possible discussions about sex could be on the table.

Sheldon rolled his eyes and replied "Not that it is any of your business, but no. Amy and I decided to wait until our wedding night" he defended.

"So let me get this straight. You bought condoms and didn't make use of them?" Howard pushed.

"Are you hard of hearing, Howard? I just told you no. They were not used."

"But you bought them?" Howard asked?

"Yes, but they are still sealed in the boxes they came in and now packed away in my luggage. I have not had a chance to unpack at the apartment yet. I will be doing that later tonight" Sheldon informed.

"$50 you owe me" Howard said turning to Raj. "I knew he would chicken out."

"Excuse me, but I did not quote chicken out unquote. If the truth be known, it was Amy who wasn't ready" Sheldon confided, and as soon as he said it he regretted it.

"Amy?" Leonard queried, looking puzzled. "Come on Sheldon, even I have a hard time believing that. She is always all over you like a coat of paint. We all know you are the one that has been reluctant to take it to the next step."

"Leonard, that is not true. If I was quote reluctant to take it to the next step unquote" he said gesturing with his fingers, "then I would not even be close to asking her to marry me. I already have asked her and was the one that suggested we marry on Feburary 14. I really would have taken her down to the courthouse the day after we were engaged and married her and this would be a moot conversation, if I had been given that chance and had she agreed" his neck jetted forward and his eyes flamed as he attempted to set the group straight.

"OK, buddy, but we just find it hard to believe Amy backed off" Leonard continued.

"Leonard, Amy had a lot going down in Texas, which I do not want to get into at the moment. We will explain it soon enough to everyone because it is still unraveling and we don't know all of the details. But she was very stressed out and had a lot on her mind. The wedding is a big enough task for her, and then this other thing on top of it was very distressing to say the least" Sheldon confided.

Everyone just looked at him. They were stunned and curious. "So you won't give us a hint what it was about?" Raj asked. "Dude, that is low to tell us that Amy is upset about something and then not give us any idea what you are talking about."

"Low, schmoo, I really don't care, Koothrappali. It is a private matter and as I said we don't know everything yet. Once we have more information and when we are ready, you will all learn it. Now, we have wasted a good 15 minutes and I have a lot to do…so shoo…all of you. I thank you for the welcome, but I will catch up with you at lunch" Sheldon waved his hands to shoo them out the door and turned to his computer screen. They took the hint and exited.

He immediately typed in "Tavish MacGregor+Broxburn, Scotland" into Google. He learned that Tavish was Amy's maternal grandfather who was commonly known as Angus MacGregor both professionally and personally. Sheldon recalled reading that Iona's father was named Angus. Upon reading further he learned that Angus was his middle name. "Ah, that makes sense" Sheldon said to no one in particular. Picking up his cell phone he text'd Amy and let her know that Tavish was her grandfather and he was more known by his middle name which was Angus.

Continuing his research, Sheldon also had learned that Tavish was still alive and living in Broxburn. He had quite a profile professionally and it appears he had a significant financial profile as well. "So he could well afford the write off of giving us the home" Sheldon muttered to himself. Tavish had been another…"What?"…an…astrophysicist? "I wonder if Koothrappali knows of his work?"

Picking up his office phone, Sheldon dialed Raj's extension. "Koothrappai, ever hear of a Scottish astrophysicist named…"

"Angus MagGregor? Yeah, dude. He is like the father of astrophysics" Raj interrupted.

"How is it that I missed his name before? Do you have any of his works?" Sheldon was now curious. He knew the name MacGregor sounded familiar, but couldn't place why. It is a popular Scottish clan name, but something was trying to come forward in his archive of data stored in his head but just could not quite reveal itself.

"Sure, I have a lot of his works here. You want to borrow anything in particular?" Raj replied, rummaging through his bookshelf pulling out various binders that contained documents.

"I'll be right there to glance through and let you know what I want to borrow" Sheldon replied. How could his eidetic memory fail him on something this important puzzled him. He minimized his browser and set the screen lock on his laptop and head out the door to Raj's office, passing Alex along the way.

"I'll be right back. I am looking at some data that Koothrappali has in his office" he informed Alex. If anyone calls for me, I should be back within the hour." Alex nodded and went back to the tasks she had been working on before the interruption.

Amy was busy looking over some results that her assistant and some grad students had provided her when her phone buzzed. She fell down on her stool stunned upon reading the message. Tavish Angus MacGregor was her grandfather? "Dr. Fowler, are you okay" one of the young eager grad students asked her. He waved his arms in front of her eyes.

"Oh, sorry, yes…I just got some personal news that..well stunned me for lack of a better word" Amy confided. "Now, I have a question about…" and Amy continued to question the young man about his test run results.

Sheldon began to peruse the material Raj had laid out for him to look at. Literally, it only took seconds before it all started coming back to Sheldon and he realized the magnitude of this man's career achievements. He finally remembered Angus and his elevated status in his field of expertise. Realizing he didn't need to borrow anything after all, he turned to Raj "thanks. I now remember who he was and have read this body of work" Sheldon said and started to leave.

"Wait, you can't go yet. Why did you ask me about him?" Raj was curious.

"Oh, I just came across the name doing research on something else and I knew it sounded familiar but for some reason had a brain fart that wouldn't allow me to remember why" Sheldon tried to cover. He turned toward the door to take his exit, trying to avoid looking at Raj who would notice the tic forming in his eye, betraying his lie. "Thanks again, Koothrappali, see you at lunch" he said running out the door.

Raj stared at the door Sheldon had just left and thought to himself, "he is one crazy bastard." He shrugged it off and got back to what he had been working on, staring at his computer screen.

Sheldon went back to his office and continued to read up on Angus. Once he felt he had exhausted as much as he could deal with for the moment, he wrote down the man's email address and made a mental note to email Tavish Angus MacGregor to ask if he and Amy could meet up with him when they are in Scotland for their honeymoon.

Sheldon then realized that he had yet to make the arrangements for their trip. He sat down and looked at the calendar. Determining the dates, he began to research flights that he could book for their honeymoon. "Hmmm…passports. Amy will need one in her married name." Sheldon considered. He called Amy.

Amy was still going over information with her grad students when her phone rang. She excused herself and walked out of her lab and into the hallway with her cell phone and answered "Hey Cuddles."

"Hey beautiful. I wanted to ask you a question." Sheldon announced.

"Proceed."

"I am working on honeymoon plans and I want them to be a surprise so I will not reveal the location to you, but will state that they will require an up to date passport. I am calling to inquire if you think you can get a passport with your married name on it before we actually are married. Do you think your University can help you get that processed somehow?" Sheldon inquired.

"I don't know really. I will find out or at a minimum call the US Passports local office and ask them what the process is for dealing with such things" Amy offered.

"Okay, if you wouldn't mind, that would be great. At worst case, you could travel under your current name, but….well…..I just want you to have identification that tells the world you are mine" Sheldon admitted.

Amy giggled and said, "music to my ears. I will check into it and let you know what I find out" she replied.

"Good." After a couple of moments Sheldon revealed "I miss you a lot."

"I miss you too, Cuddles."

"By the way, after trying to figure out why your grandfather's name was so familiar, I realized he is a well-renown astrophysicist. I am familiar with a lot of his works and they are very impressive. You have quite a heritage" Sheldon boast.

"Really?" Amy was stunned to hear this news. She never realized that she had so many scientists in her lineage.

"Yes, but I have to go now. I have not done a thing work-related since I got in."

"Okay…love you and see you later tonight with keys in hand" Amy reminded.

"Love you back. I can't wait." They ended their call. Amy went back into her lab and continued going over the analyses that her grad students had prepared and were explaining to her.

Sheldon worked the rest of the morning on Cal Tech related tasks. Lunchtime rolled round and he met the others down in the cafeteria. He got caught up on what everyone else had been up to in his absence and also learned a few more details from Raj on the reception planning. He made a mental note to update Amy later that evening. He then returned to his office and tried to keep focus on his Cal Tech research for the remainder of the day.

Amy met with Penny and Bernadette for a brief lunch update on what they had accomplished on the wedding in her absence and then rushed back to the lab. She didn't want to get into her Texas trip or anything else that she had been dealing with. She had enough to think about without having to answer their questions. She spent the rest of the afternoon getting back up to speed and made significant progress.

At 4:15, Amy left the lab to meet with the lawyers. While she was there, they confirmed that Tavish was indeed her grandfather and that he had bought the house that they were given 50 years ago. The intent was to give it to Iona, but because of her early demise, he hung on to it for Amy. Tavish had been following Amy's life both online and through the law firm she was meeting with. Amy tried to find out if there was communication between her father and Tavish, but Mr. Anderson was tight lipped and did not reveal anything further. He handed her the keys and a list of who had been maintaining the house and a history of all of the updates and maintenance that had been done.

Amy looked over the list and was astonished at the list. It was lovingly treated. "Mr. Anderson, how did he know about my impending marriage" Amy asked.

"That wasn't very difficult. You updated your facebook page announcing you're engagement to Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper and even stated that you planned to hyphenate your name when you married," the lawyer replied.

"Is there anything I am to do in return or a way I can send my appreciation to Mr. MacGregor?" Amy asked.

Mr. Anderson, who she was meeting with, corrected "Dr. MacGregor, but we will make sure he is given your appreciation. He just wants you to enjoy the gift and there is nothing expected back in return."

"Well please do let him know that we are extremely appreciative and will make sure the home is treated with the respect he has given it all these years." Amy knew it wasn't enough, but this was very awkward for her. What else was she supposed to say?

"Well then, here are your keys. Enjoy your home. It is in a lovely area." Mr. Anderson handed her the keys.

Amy looked at the keys and then asked "I am curious, do you happen to know the approximate value of the home? I just feel weird…I am sorry that I am acting so strange…but can you understand why this is hard for me?" Amy asked Mr. Anderson.

"Yes, I can understand and all I can advise is to just enjoy. Just be blessed. The house is worth approximately $3.5 Million for the property and house. When Dr. MacGregor purchased the home, of course it was nowhere near that value. With appreciation over the years, and the fact that it was so well maintained and well situated within a neighborhood of like-maintained homes, has made its value multiply. Any furnishings would be an additional value, if you are considering the number in terms of insurance coverage needs."

Amy was gobsmacked. She couldn't even form words. She knew the house was cute on the outside and appeared to be in a nice neighborhood, but to be worth so much? She was absolutely speechless. "I..I…I…I can't even formulate what to say" was all she could get out. She realized they would need to purchase insurance. She had not considered that and decided that she and Sheldon could discuss that on the way to looking at the house.

"I understand. Well if that is all, I have another appointment shortly" Mr. Anderson excused.

"Yes, thank you for all you have done. If I have more questions, may I call you again" Amy asked, as she shook his hand.

"Yes, I am available anytime. Just call the office number and they will schedule a time for us to speak should you need anything further." Mr. Anderson said as he escorted her out.


	16. Chapter 16: The Building Anticipation

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Sheldon packed up his desk and dropped off a folder on Alex's desk on his way out the door. "Make sure Dr. Gablehauser gets this before you leave for the day?" Sheldon asked.

"Sure. You are leaving early for you" Alex observed.

"I have an appointment this evening that cannot be missed. Once you get that to Gablehauser, start on this" he said pointing to a pile of work that was still outstanding. "I want to see an analysis by the morning" Sheldon said, looking at his watch.

"By the morning? I am not sure I can get through all of it enough to digest and write up an analysis by then" Alex complained.

Sheldon turned and glared at her causing her to retreat and nod "OK, I will do my best." With that he took his leave and head out to the parking lot to his new SUV.

Amy walked out of the Law Firm offices still with her head in the clouds. She was having difficulty digesting that she and Sheldon now own a house worth so much money. Suddenly it hit her and she became euphoric. She leaped and literally skipped to her car. She could not wait to meet Sheldon. Looking at her watch, she realized that it was only 5:30 and she didn't need to meet him for another hour. She rummaged through her purse and pulled out her phone to call Penny. Her phone went to voice mail. Next she dialed Bernadette.

"Hey Ames, long time no see" Bernie commented in a chipper voice…they had just seen each other for lunch.

"Hey Bernadette. I am supposed to meet Sheldon in another hour and well, I have some time to kill. I was wondering if you want to meet me at the Cheesecake Factory bar for a quick drink" Amy inquired. "I think Penny may be working there tonight, but not sure if she will be in the bar or waiting tables."

Bernadette looked at her watch and replied "Sure, I think I can do that. Howie will be working another hour and I was just about to leave anyway. I'll see you in about 10 minutes?"

"Sounds good. See you soon" Amy said and disconnected the call. She drove over to the Cheesecake Factory and went to the bar. Penny was working behind the bar, to her good fortune.

"Hey Ames, what brings you here?" Penny puzzled.

"I had a little time to kill before meeting Sheldon. Bernadette should be here in about five minutes to join us" Amy replied. "I am glad you are working the bar so we could have some girl time."

"So what's up? Did you get through that stuff you were going over with that hottie grad student" Penny teased, wiggling her eyebrows up and down when she did.

"He is rather hot, isn't he? I guess because I have Sheldon, I didn't really think about it before you mentioned it. But he is nice looking. Too bad we don't know any single young girls" Amy reflected.

"Sure we do, what about Sheldon's assistant Alex. Why don't you introduce him to her?" Penny had an ulterior motive in making the suggestion. She wasn't thrilled that Alex constantly was hitting on Leonard and texting him flirty messages. Leonard was oblivious but still a man and well…she just didn't like it. Truth be told, Penny was jealous of Alex. She knew Alex was beautiful, but she also had another thing going for her…she spoke his language. She was smart and knew what he was talking about and could relate to his work. That had always been a thorn in Penny's side. She felt totally insecure when he began to talk about his work. She also felt she had nothing to return back to him that would keep him intellectually stimulated.

"Hmmm….you know that is a great idea." Amy considered. Suddenly she frowned "I don't know if he is already pair-bonded with someone else though. I will try to find out."

Bernadette walked in and joined Amy and Penny at the bar. "Hey. Penny, can I have a glass of white wine? Ames, so what's up?"

"Penny, make that two glasses, one for me as well. Thanks." Amy said before turning to Bernie and answering "Not much, we were just talking about possibly trying to arrange a meeting between Alex and one of my grad students."

"That hottie that was practically leaning on your shoulder going over your data today?" Bernie chirped up.

"He wasn't leaning on me" Amy being so literal.

"Sure he was. Didn't you notice how he was flirting with you?" Bernadette encouraged and turned to Penny "You saw it too, didn't you?"

"Ames, she's right. That kid was really flirting up a storm with you." Penny concurred.

"Really? He knows I am getting married soon. While I am flattered, I don't want him doing that. How do I make him stop?" Amy frowned. "I don't want Sheldon to see him doing that."

"Set him up with Alex" Penny pushed.

"As I said, I will see if he is not pair-bonded, although if he was flirting with me I should hope he isn't. If not, then I will bring him by Cal Tech when I go to meet Sheldon sometime so I can introduce him to Alex. I will encourage Sheldon to ask her to join us for lunch or something" Amy suggested.

"Ooo…that's a great idea" Bernadette agreed. "Let me know when you think you might swing by and I will try to meet Howie and join you."

"Deal." Amy nodded. "So Penny, tell me about the shoes you bought to match your dress" she changed the topic. Before Penny could answer, she then asked Bernadette "Did you see them and get them too?"

"Yeah, they are gorgeous. Penny showed them to me and I couldn't resist getting the same pair in my size."

Scrolling on her phone, Penny found what she was looking for and turned her phone to show Amy. "Here is a picture of them, aren't they fabulous?"

"Oh those are cute, but tall. Don't you think Leonard will feel self-conscious about how much shorter he is than you when you wear those" Amy asked without filtering her comment.

Penny looked deflated and shrugged "I guess. I hadn't really thought about what he might think. I just loved them so much that I didn't even think about it." Penny didn't want Leonard to feel self-conscious about his height, but she really loved those shoes. She kept looking at the picture and thinking. It was almost like she had the angel and devil on each shoulder trying to convince her what to do.

"Yeah, Howie and I might be the same height when I wear my pair, but that's okay" Bernadette said, thinking about her stance next to Howard. "He might prefer it when I am my usual height next to him, but he won't mind me being the same height as him just this one time."

"You know what…to heck with what Leonard thinks…I love them and feel good in them and will still be with him there, so he can just deal with it" Penny said obstinately.

"That's the attitude" Bernadette agreed. Amy shook her head and wasn't so sure, but didn't push it either. "So Ames, tell us about your time in Texas. We haven't really gotten to talk to you much, except for a quick lunch earlier today, since you got back. How was it?" Bernadette asked.

"Sheldon was so romantic. He was very attentive and chivalrous the entire time. I have never seen him be quite so loving. Something about being around his family…maybe it is because they are so loving and he is so comfortable and at home with them…that he just was freer to love," Amy reminisced.

"So how did you like his Mee-Maw…what is she like?" Penny asked.

"I loved her. She is so incorrigible. She practically wanted Sheldon and I to sleep together and was determined to make sure we had private time together. She was so witty and wise. I swear the woman could read my mind and always finished everyone's sentences for them. She really is brilliant in a way, even though she is uneducated." Amy boasted. "I definitely see that Sheldon got his intelligence from her…only she has wisdom of the world knowledge and his is more from books. She really is a remarkable woman and I can see why he loves her so much. I fell in love with her as well."

"What is Sheldon like around his Mee-Maw? We know he loves her" Bernadette asked.

"They are so cute. They totally adore each other and he dotes over her as much as she does over him. But she also was very loving to me. She loved me just because Sheldon loves me I think" Amy continued. "She treated me as if I had been born and raised in their family."

"That is so cool" Penny commented. Pausing for a couple of minutes thinking then she piped up "so Mee-Maw wanted you and Shelly to do it, huh? "

Amy blushed and replied "I swear she has a dirty little mind. She wasn't even upset about Sheldon's purchase of condoms. She told him he was wise to buy them."

The girls all giggled and then Bernie said, "Wait…Sheldon bought condoms? When did this happen and how come I didn't know about this?"

Amy had assumed Bernadette knew since Penny knew. "He bought them when we were in Texas. You know his mother and her rules about sex," Amy waited for acknowledgment which she got from both women, "so Sheldon and I rented a hotel to go to during the days so we could have alone time. While his family is wonderful and loving, but there was just a little too much of them in our faces and every time Sheldon would try to hug me or kiss me, his mother was breathing down our necks accusing us of quote sinning unquote" she said wiggling her fingers for effect.

"You got a hotel room? You dirty, dirty girl" Bernie teased.

"Yes… we needed time to plan the wedding and talk about so many things and just didn't want all of our business being discussed with them breathing down us all the time" Amy said. "I love them a lot, but they can be a bit overwhelming. So Sheldon and I decided we would get a hotel room and brought our laptops there so we could research things and email you guys and colleagues about work related things."

"So you have this hotel and?" Bernie asked suggestively.

"We cuddled and slept a lot and kissed a fair amount" Amy confided. "But no, we didn't have sex and no additional bases, beyond second were reached."

"So he bought condoms and had you in a hotel all to himself and he still didn't try to have sex with you?" Bernie asked, her voice rising out of frustration. "What is his problem? You could not have been in a more perfect setting" she huffed.

Amy put her hand up to try and calm Bernadette down and replied "Actually, he did indicate that he was interested in making love but I kept hearing his mother's voice in my head and stopped him from it. We finally agreed to wait until our wedding night" Amy explained.

"You stopped him? Ames, isn't that what you have been wanting from him all this time?" Bernie was flabbergasted.

"Yes and I still do, but not when it might bring pain to someone who treated me so well. His mother welcomed me and now calls me her daughter and wants me to call her Mama Mary and well it was just hard to want to go against her wishes after that. She is a formidable woman, her voice permeates. I realized that it is only a short time before we will be married and we will have the rest of our lives to make love so why upset her when I only had to control my hormones for a couple of more months" Amy lied, not wanting to reveal her insecurities were what prevented her from carrying through. She felt her explanation sounded reasonable.

Penny eyed her suspiciously but let it slide. Amy noticed her expression but just gave her a small head shake which let Penny know to not say anything.

Bernie replied "I guess I can understand that. I sometimes do things just because Howie's mother has treated me so nicely as well that I normally would not do, so I can understand."

Amy looked at her watch and realized that it was nearing time to meet Sheldon. She had barely touched her wine so she passed her glass to Bernie and said "I have to run and meet Sheldon now, but here, I didn't have time to drink this. You can have it, or Penny, if you don't want it." She gave both girls a quick hug and ran out to head to Sheldon's.

"Sheldon, I ordered pizza for everyone and am just about to go pick it up" Leonard called over to Sheldon who was in the kitchen rummaging through the mail.

"Oh, Leonard, I forgot to tell you that Amy and I are going out to a restaurant for dinner tonight and that I probably will be heading to her apartment for the night after" Sheldon looked up and informed.

Leonard looked at him annoyed and perplexed at the same time. "You two sure are spending a lot of time together. I know you are planning a wedding and all, but…"

"But what, Leonard? Can't I spend time enjoying my fiancé?" Sheldon glared.

Shrugging Leonard replied, "I guess. It just seems like you never want to be around anyone else but her lately. I kind of miss you buddy."

Sheldon was surprised at Leonard's remark. He hadn't ever thought about it, but he had been spending less time with everyone else so suggested "Well tomorrow night is Wednesday night and comic book night. We can hang out then and do a "guys only" night."

"Okay, that sounds good. I'll let Raj and Howard know. I've got to go get the pizza now. I'll see you tomorrow" Leonard said and turned and walked out the door. He passed Amy on the way. "Hey Amy."

"Leonard. Good to see you. You seem to be in a hurry, "she greeted.

"Yeah, I am on my way to get pizza for the gang. They are coming over to the apartment, but I hear you and Sheldon are going to a restaurant for dinner" Leonard relayed.

"Yes, we are. Well enjoy your evening. I am on my way to pick up Sheldon" Amy waved. Leonard waved back and ran down the stairs.

Sheldon answered after Amy's knock on the door and had his bag over his shoulder. Patting it he said "I've got my laptop, my pajamas, a change of clothes, and am all yours for the night." He leaned over and gave her a quick peck on the lips. Pulling back he said "But you will have to drive me to work in the morning. I told Leonard I would go to the comic bookstore tomorrow night and have a quote guys only unquote" gesturing with his fingers "night with Wolowitz, Koothrappali ,and him after we are done at Stuart's store."

Amy smiled. Then mocking a pout she teased "You mean I have to go a whole night without you?"

"Well…I could plan to have you come over and spend the night with me after the guys leave" Sheldon offered.

"Sheldon, I was teasing. I am sure we can live one night apart, besides, that will give me a chance to do beauty treatments that I have been neglecting. Maybe we will have a girls' night at the same time and they can help me" Amy pondered. "But come on, we have more important things to do," her eyes glistened with excitement.

Sheldon locked the door and they head down the stairs together. Getting in her car and buckling up, Amy asked "house first or eat first? I know it would be later than usual to eat after, but I am so excited to see the house that I don't think I can eat until I have seen it" Amy enthused.

"I agree. I really would like to see the house and as hungry as I am, I am even keener to hear from you what you learned from the lawyers, and to see the house."

Amy relayed all of the information about the house to Sheldon, including the value of the home.

"Seriously? We now own a house worth that kind of money?" Sheldon was just as stunned, if not more so than Amy. "How in the world can we ever repay someone for that?" he said frowning.

"We are not supposed to repay it. It was purchased over 50 years ago for next to nothing and it was inflation, appreciation, and the constant upkeep that allowed it to become worth so much" Amy explained. "It was bought originally for my birth mother, Iona. Since she died, he then kept it for me."

"Why didn't he give it to you sooner?" Sheldon asked after thinking about what Amy revealed.

"I think he was waiting until I was to marry, but that is just a best guess" Amy reasoned, shrugging at the same time.

"Well now that I know what the worth is, I had better log back in sometime tonight and look at what the annual taxes are for the house and investigate what it is going to cost to insure it" Sheldon began to worry.

"I had not thought about that. You are right, with a price that high, the taxes must be outrageous."

Both were lost in thought for a few moments. "I think you are supposed to go that way" Sheldon said to Amy as she turned left onto street. Sheldon was following the car's path with his phone GPS system and trying to help navigate Amy the fastest route to the house. Amy looked for a place that she could safely U-turn and was now going the right direction.

"Have you thought anymore about how you want to tell everyone about the house?" Amy asked.

"No, I wanted to see it first. Then I think we will come up with a plan together" Sheldon decided.

"Yeah, I know what you mean. I really can't imagine what this house is going to look like. I know in my head what would be my dream house, and this looked a lot like my dream house on the outside, but sometimes pictures lie" Amy said.

"I know what you mean. I too know that I want at least some space in the house to set up a man cave similar to my apartment" Sheldon revealed.

"Since this is a bungalow style home, it may not be very big. It probably is a starter home size, although at that value, I don't know, come to think of it. It may be larger than I thought originally" Amy pondered.

"What are we going to do if it is big?" Sheldon asked. "Won't it just be a lot of upkeep and work?"

"I suppose if it is bigger than we need, we eventually will grow into it…you know…if we decide to procreate" Amy timidly approached the subject.

"True, and yes…for the record, I would like for us to eventually procreate, just not right away" Sheldon confided.

"Which is why Bernadette and I have an appointment for the day after tomorrow" Amy reminded.

"Turn left at the next street" Sheldon instructed, as he looked around and leaned to see if he could get an idea of what the street was going to look like. "Yes, correct, this street."


	17. Chapter 17: The Dream House

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Turning onto the street, both were craning their necks looking at addresses. Sheldon was the first to recognize the house. "There it is" he pointed a couple of houses on their right. As Amy pulled closer to the drive, they realized that the bungalow was actually a lot larger than it looked on Google maps. It was a full size home, not small as they originally thought. The lot was a lot larger than Google made it seem as well. It had a gated drive and a mid-size stone wall that surrounded the outer skirts of the property. On the outside of the wall, the street side, were beautiful shrubs, perfectly trimmed. On the inside were gardens leading up to a grassy part of the lawn. It resembled a fashionable English garden. Amy used a card key she had been given and inserted it into a slot which then opened the gate. They pulled up in the drive and stopped for a few moments just soaking in all the detail of the exterior of the home.

"It is beautiful" Amy said, breathlessly. "Look, it has Christmas lights already on the outside!"

"It is stunning… far more beautiful than the photos we saw last night. Yes, it does appear that it has already been decorated for the holidays."

Getting out of the car, they walked up the stairs to the porch which covered the entire front of the house. The porch had four rocking chairs placed in duets with a coffee table that contained a beautiful poinsettia display of mini-plants, in a large container. They had red, white, and red/white variegated plants making it look like a huge festive bouquet. On the door was a beautiful ornate wreath with a large deep red and gold ribbon on top that wound through the wreath. It was breathtaking. All of the ornaments were of old Euorpean charm.

Amy walked up with the keys and put the key in the slot and turned to look at Sheldon. "This is it" she brought up her shoulders and squealed.

"Amy, let me." Sheldon stopped her hand. He had an idea and wanted to make sure she didn't step inside before him.

Amy looked at him a bit surprised and puzzled, but relented "Okay" she said as she stepped back so that he could do the honors.

Sheldon opened the door and then turned to Amy and swiftly picked her up off of her feet and carried her over the threshold "I believe this is the proper tradition…for a groom to carry his bride over the threshold of their new abode" Sheldon said as he slowly lowered her to the floor, pulling her into a passionate kiss at the same time.

After they separated from their kiss, Amy swayed from emotion and steadied her balance on Sheldon's arm. Both of them then looked at where they were standing and around the entrance. It was a foyer that was fairly sizable, but not garishly so…large enough to fit about 7-8 people comfortably removing coats at the same time. There was a staircase that led to an upper floor hidden just slightly to the right as you were face the inside of the home. There were also stairs that led to a basement. The house was rectangular in shape where it was wide and deep. The stairs were framed by a hallway on each side. On the right side from the foyer, were the public areas of the home in an open floorplan. On the left side of the stairs were more private quarters with more traditional doorways leading to the rooms. The floors throughout the house were Brazilian Koa which was easy to blend with just about anything. It was light enough in tone to reflect light and dark enough to look formal. Koa was also more durable than many other hardwoods, and this flooring was fully finished and coated with an additional protectorate that would not show scuff marks, scratches, or nicks. It also would not yellow and gave the flooring a natural sheen as if polished all the time.

They immediately decided to start with the public areas and followed the vast opening to the living room. It had to the right outer wall a fireplace that was lit with a live fire warming the room, making for a very cozy feel. _Someone knew we might come by today and prepared the home for us_ , Amy thought. The mantle above the fireplace was beautifully decorated with boughs and ornaments, candles and figurines and in the center was a large mirror framed appropriately in craftsman style to match the home. On each side of the fireplace were built-in bookshelves displaying various trinkets and some books, many of them science or science-fiction in content. The room was fully furnished with a craftsman style sofa that could fit at least three to four people. There was a coffee table and then two chairs on an angle that faced the couch, but still could get a side view of the fireplace. Situated perfectly in the front window that faced the front of the house, was a stately Christmas tree, tastefully decorated with twinkling lights and old-world ornamentation and florals. It was probably the most beautiful tree they had ever seen.

"Pinch me, Sheldon" Amy said holding out her arm. "I am afraid I am going to wake up from this dream."

"I am feeling the same way, Amy. This is just too incredible." A wide-eyed Sheldon looked around, taking in each detail as if he were a small child in a candy store. He was completely overwhelmed and full of awe.

On the far side of the living room was an opening that led to a dining room that contained a beautiful craftsman style table with 8 chairs. It was very in keeping with the home, yet had a modern look. Two additional chairs were placed on the left side of the room, with a sofa table between. Above the sofa table was a beautiful Abstract painting of the Solar system and Universe. The chandelier was also craftsman style that hung over the center of the table. A buffet sat to the right wall that was also decorated for Christmas, including a nativity scene in the middle with hand-crafted and polished rosewood characters. On the table were place settings sitting on top of placemats, as if ready for a party. It was stunning.

"Sheldon, can't you see us inviting guests and entertaining in here? It is so lovely" Amy kept her eyes roving around the room, soaking in the detail.

"It really is beautiful and what I like about what I have seen so far, is that this whole house is formal yet still us" Sheldon remarked. "It is like they understand us….whoever decorated it or approved of the decorating scheme, that is."

There was a wide opening on the far wall that led to the kitchen which was expansive, given the age of the home. It had a small eat-in area with a square craftsman style table with four chairs. Just beyond the eat-in area was a doorway that led into a laundry room with brand new appliances, built-in shelving, a full ironing area, hand dry area, and a sink. Beyond it was a small mud room that led to the backyard.

"I wish it wasn't so dark. I would like to see what the backyard looks like" Sheldon said as he looked out the backdoor. He went back into the kitchen.

All of the appliances in the kitchen were brand new stainless steel and the kitchen appeared as if it had been just remodeled. The counters were marble, already treated for durable wear and tear. The cabinets were cherry shaker style with dark bronze handles. The backsplash was a copper, brushed chrome, and light green glass mixture in a geometric design pattern.

There was an island in the kitchen that had a butcher-top area on one end that was fairly sizeable, closest to the built-in range top, which had a fan that would come up at the push of a button. The rest of the island top was a neutral-toned granite counter. Cabinets lined the entire island on all sides.

"I like that the stovetop is a gas range. It is top of the line, including an optional griddle piece" Sheldon admired. "We can make proper pancakes" he beamed.

"Look, it has a dishwasher" Amy pointed out enthusiastically. "Oh and built in double ovens and microwave"….pulling another stainless steel door open she noticed "Look Sheldon, another smaller dishwasher for smaller loads or for when you have overloads. Sheldon, it has a warming drawer too" Amy noticed pulling it out to inspect. They continued to admire their new kitchen, taking in every detail.

"Look at this sub-zero refrigerator. It is huge. It is at least double the size of my apartment refrigerator" Sheldon commented. "It has an automatic water dispenser and ice maker as well."

An opening from the kitchen led to the hall that connected the rooms that spanned off of the left side of the house, all leading back to the front of the house. Immediately from the kitchen going down the hall was a bedroom that would have been opposite of the dining room in perspective. Inside the bedroom on the wall facing the front of the house was a doorway that led into a Jack 'n Jill bathroom connecting to a second bedroom. Both bedrooms were a bit on the small size but definitely housed queen size beds with nightstands comfortably. Heading toward the front of the house, on the other side of the second bedroom was a small, but nicely appointed half-bathroom and beyond it was a small office. All rooms had been decorated and were fully ready for anyone to make immediate use.

"Want to go up or down first?" Amy asked as she and Sheldon as she looked at the stairs.

"Up first then we can go down" Sheldon decided.

They ascended to the upper floor to discover that the entire floor was a huge master suite with a fireplace on the right wall that separated two, large and expansive windows which let in streams of sunlight during the day. Two large comfortable chairs faced the fireplace with a small corner table between them. There was a huge king size bed with beautiful bedding, coming out from an alcove in the far wall. Sconces and night stands set on each side of the bed. The way it was situated made it feel very private. On the left side of the room was a doorway that led to a large 5-piece bathroom that had a jetted tub that was huge and could easily fit two people, a huge shower, double sinks and vanities, and a very high-tech toilet. The shower had two large rain shower heads, jets that sprayed water from the walls, all temperature controlled and a handheld shower head. High windows brought in light while maintaining privacy.

A large door led to a full walk-in closet fully loaded with built-ins, vanity dressing table on one side with a small tufted chair. Shoe racks, tie racks, areas for hanging clothes, folded clothes, private drawers for undergarments, and a special secured jewelry drawer were all part of the closet. It too had a couple of smaller high windows that brought in light into the room during the days.

Sheldon went back to the bedroom part of the suite and just soaked it all in. "Amy, this is our retreat. This is where we will be able to shut out the world and just be together and no one is allowed up here but us" he started envisioning them sitting there together in front of the fire, making love in the bed, waking up in the mornings and sipping their tea next to the warmth of the sun shining in on them.

"Sheldon, this is beyond incredible. I cannot believe how perfect this home is. I am almost scared to believe it" Amy continued to soak in each detail. "Where are you going to put all your comic books and action heros?" she asked after she started thinking about how much he treasures those childish things.

"If I have to, I will put them in storage. I think there still is garage. Maybe we can convert it to a man cave" Sheldon suggested.

After a few moments of them just enjoying and dreaming about spending time in the master bedroom, she turned to Sheldon and said "We still have another floor to look at" her eyes sparkling.

They head down to the basement and again were stunned, it truly was incredible. On the far right wall was a 72" TV mounted with full surround sound system. Facing the TV about 10 feet away were three rows of theater style chairs with cup-holders and a small built-in shelf-like tabletop. The first row closest to the TV there were two chairs, then two rows of four chairs, where they were offset slightly between rows for optimal viewing. All of the chairs would swivel so that they could face each other if needed, or rock if desired, recline if desired, or lock into place. On the far left side of the room was a round gaming table for card games, board games, or to use alternately as an eating area. On the wall above it were higher shelves for extra storage. The table was surrounded by 8 chairs. Sconces were on the far left wall on each side of the shelving, up-lighting the ceiling creating a very nice ambience.

There was a conversation area in the room, one that had a love seat with two chairs facing it separated by a coffee table. Sconces framed the love seat. Next to the conversation area was a small area that acted like a wet-bar, with a small refrigerator, shelving, freezer, and a microwave oven. It even had two built-in stovetop burners, and a full espresso machine. Opposite of the conversation area were two built-in desks and built in storage cabinetry that separated the two desks and framed both of them.

He went over and opened the storage cabinets on one side of one of the desks. They were empty. "Here is where the things that are currently in my room will go" he decidedly told Amy.

Amy looked over and smiled. She could finally get rid of having to look at those childish things. "Perfect" she replied. She then continued looking at the room and was lost in thought about the house. It was so overwhelming.

"How did Tavish Angus MacGregor know?" Sheldon was overwhelmed at how well appointed the room was. It was as if he was given a dream environment and it came to life right before him. It had the feel of 2311 Los Robles apartment in a way, yet was far more efficiently appointed and had been built for better efficiency.

Amy could not stop turning around and around slowly taking it all in. She pinched her arm several times because she honestly could not believe it. Finally realizing Sheldon said something she said "What?"

"I asked how Tavish Angus MacGregor knew?"

"Knew what?" Amy wasn't sure what he was getting at.

"How did he know my dream quote man cave unquote" Sheldon gestured as he replied.

"I honestly have no idea. It is as if he was inside both of our heads. This house is perfection, absolute perfection. How can I possibly accept it? It is too much?" Amy exclaimed.

"Well it has already been done, Amy. You and I already own this. We own the Deed. There isn't much we can do about it at this point other than enjoy it" Sheldon reasoned. He was ready to pack up his belongings and move in that night. He was totally in love with the house. "Amy, I can't wait to have our marathon game weekends here."

Rolling her eyes, she said "I know you are excited and so am I, but can't we first just enjoy it with the two of us for a couple of days before you start planning your marathons?"

Walking over to her and pulling her into his arms Sheldon looked down at her intently in her eyes "I want nothing more than to ravish you upstairs in our master suite. Of course we will have time here first. I want you to myself before I bring others into our sanctuary." He then drew her into a passionate kiss that took her breath away.

Once they pulled away, Amy said "It is going to be hard to go back to the apartment after….well…this" she said waving her hand as if a game-show hostess showing off the prize.

Sheldon agreed. "We don't have to go anywhere quickly do we? Hey, why don't we order food to be delivered and have our first meal here?"

"Sheldon, I don't want to make a mess…it is so perfect" Amy's eyes widened.

"Amy, we won't make a mess. We will clean up after, but this way we can enjoy the house a lot longer" Sheldon pleaded, putting on puppy dog eyes.

"Okay, let's do it" Amy said, she herself not wanting to leave.

They climbed back up the stairs and Sheldon began to search through his phone for delivery take-out "Sheldon-approved" places to eat. He placed a call and ordered the food. In the meantime, Amy just wandered looking at details on the main floor of the house. She finally eyed an envelope sitting in the kitchen that she missed the first time they looked at the room. Going over and looking at the envelope she noticed her name on the outside. She opened it and there was a letter explaining about the security system and giving her the security code to their home. It talked about other things like how the sprinklers were set and where they could find all of the service guides and serial numbers to all the appliances. Included with the letter from the lawyers, there was also a separate letter with a personal message from Tavish. Her eyes widened and she immediately called out to Sheldon. "Sheldon, come here and look" she exclaimed. As she read, tears welled up as emotions overwhelmed her.

"Are you okay? Is something wrong?" Sheldon asked worried by the sound of her voice. When he walked into the kitchen he saw her hold out a piece of paper, tears streaming down her face.

"Come over here, read this" she said, handing him the paper when he was near enough to look at it. Sheldon began to read.

"Dearest Grandaughter Amy,

I regret that I have never had the opportunity to meet you other than the day you were born. By the time you read this letter you will be unveiling my gift to you.

I have loved you your whole life, for you are my precious Iona's joy. She loved you as soon as she knew she was carrying you. You were all she talked about. She named you within days of learning that she was carrying you. Her tuition was strong and she was convinced, and rightly so as it turns out, that you would be a girl. I still mourn the loss of her and grieve even more that you never had the chance to know her and grow up with her.

Amy dear, you may be wondering why I have been silent all of these years. It has not been easy. I am sure you have many questions, too many to answer in this brief letter. But there has not been a day that I have not loved you and wished that I could know you personally. You are so dear to me. There was bad blood between your father and myself that I cannot get into and don't want to burden you with details. Unfortunately, your father made it difficult for me to try and contact you, both legally and personally.

I thank the good Lord that there was such a thing as the internet invented because it has enabled me to find information out about you. I don't mean to sound like I was spying on you, or some sick stalker, but I wanted to know you.

Your father and I had an uneasy, but legal agreement that should you become engaged to marry, with a wedding date within six months, that I would be able to contact you. Your father was convinced you would never marry so he didn't think this would ever occur. He probably will have no knowledge that I have managed to reach you by the time you read this because he believes I have lost total contact and have lost interest. He is a fool for thinking so.

However, I have followed you on the internet. With new tools such as Facebook, it became easier to keep updated on individuals. One of your colleagues actually was a past student of mine, who moved to UCLA three years ago and has been keeping in touch with me. He informed me of your Facebook page and befriended you so that I could log in and see pictures of you and try to get to know you better through your posts. I apologize if this is sounding unethical, but I was desperate to know you.

You have turned into a fine young woman and one I am so proud to call my grandbaby. You are beautiful, just like your mother, God rest her soul. You share her coloring, her features and her quirkiness. She too spoke what was on her mind and was never deterred from the truth. While she was not a woman of science, unless you count Behavioral Sciences a science, she was bright and intelligent. You have far surpassed both of us in intelligence however, my dear.

My dearest granddaughter, I also have learned about your young man. I actually know of his work and he is highly intelligent, he even surpasses me, and I dare say slightly above you, in brilliancy. From what I see, he too is similar to you. He values truth and has a quirky side. I have decided to love him based on what I have read. I would love to have met him and been able to have long talks of science with him.

I do not want you to feel you have to love me or care about me. If I were in your shoes I would have difficulty doing so. I also don't want you to think of this gift as a "love bribe" of any sort. I purchased the house over 50 years ago for Iona. And unfortunately she never even had a chance to see it. When she knew she was likely going to die, she asked me to make sure that you were given the home and to hang on to it and keep it updated for you. So the gift is really from your mother, you see. It was her dying wish and her legacy. I want you to view it as that and nothing more.

I do make one request, however, and that is that you will consider to allow me to get to know you better using internet tools so that I don't have to feel like such a cad going behind your back to know you. Would you consider a possible Skype call or allowing me to actually be a true friend on Facebook so that we can communicate from time to time? I am not asking you to get back to me before you wed, but it is my greatest hope that you will consider allowing me this opportunity. I will fully understand if it is too much to ask and promise to bow out gracefully if that is the case.

Be well my dear and happy. I wish you and Sheldon a long, fruitful, and loving marriage. I wish you both strong health and long lives.

It has been my greatest joy to be able to grant my daughters wish and now that I have done so, I know that I can go in peace when my time comes. Be blessed child and just know that I will always love you.

With all my heart,

Tavish Agnus MacGregor, Ph.D., Sc.D., M.S.

Sheldon too had tears streaming down his face as he put the letter down on the counter-top. He could not even formulate words, but one thing he did know for certain is that he was going to contact the man and arrange that they could visit with him when he and Amy flew to Scotland. If they did nothing else on the trip, they were going to visit the man so they not only could thank him in person, but also get to know him. Sheldon was curious about the bad blood and what caused such a break in the family. He felt he had to know the truth for Amy…she deserved to know. He also could not pass up the opportunity to meet such a legend in the science world. To know that he was to be related to the man…well it just made his heart overflow with emotion.

The doorbell rang, interrupting both of them and their thoughts. Sheldon quickly dried his eyes heading to answer the door. It was the pizza delivery guy. Paying the bill, with appropriate tip, he closed the door and brought the pizza to the kitchen. Amy saw him walk in carrying the box and immediately started opening up cupboards to see if there were dishes. Indeed there were. The house was fully stocked with just about anything someone could think of. So she pulled out two plates and even found some paper napkins. Setting their eat-in kitchen table, they sat down to eat, still in silence letting the immensity of what they read sink in.


	18. Chapter 18: A Creative Solution

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Amy finally broke the silence "Sheldon, do you think I should contact my grandfather? I just don't feel ready to talk to him yet. I want to, I think, at some point, but I need more time to process all of this. I am feeling overwhelmed and I still have to figure out what to say to my Father. I need to schedule a time to go back to his house and talk with he and my mother, or shall I say Jane, about all of this."

"Amy, I think we should just focus right now on the many things we still have to deal with, such as your parents and informing them of what you learned, but also the wedding. Tonight, I think we should just enjoy this amazing home, by going in front of the fireplace and just relaxing until it burns down. Then we can lock up and head back to the apartment. Tomorrow will be our girls/guys nights and then Thursday you see the doctor. That is enough to think about for the moment" Sheldon comforted.

Amy nodded and the two of them finished up their last bites of food. Amy walked over to the sink and looked in a cupboard under the sink to see if there might any chance be soap for washing the dishes. Sure enough, the cabinet contained anything one would want for cleaning up a kitchen, including dishwasher soap, hand washing soap, scrubbing brushes, and so forth. "I think we should hand wash these since I don't want them sitting in the dishwasher for a long period of time" Amy commented.

"Yes, I concur, although I would not mind us visiting the house on a very frequent basis" Sheldon implied.

Amy completed washing the dishes and putting them away. Sheldon had already wandered over to the living room and was studying titles of books. He pulled one down from the shelf and shaking his head at it, gave a derisive look at it. "I can't believe they put this piece of trash on the bookshelf" he commented just as Amy was approaching.

She took the book from his hand and looked at it. "Sheldon, I read this and it was hilarious. It is a satire you realize" she commented, browsing through the book again. It was called "Unraveling the Universe by Pulling the String, By Dr. Barry Kirk."

"Well I must admit I have not read it, but I can't believe it made it to a best seller in the Science category. From the flap description I can't believe anyone would buy it. Who is this Dr. Barry Kirk anyway?. I've never heard of him, have you?" Sheldon huffed.

"No, come to think of it, I haven't ever heard of him either."

"Just goes to show you what a bunch of malarkey" Sheldon muttered. Taking the book back, he re-read the back and the set it back on the shelf. "Well enough of that, let's enjoy the fire, decorations, and each other by cuddling" Sheldon suggested, pointing to the couch.

Going over and trying out their new couch for the first time, Amy commented "what about your spot?"

Sheldon gave her a puzzling look "what about it?"

"Well, we seem to have all the furniture we need already in this house. Also, Leonard may want to stay in your current apartment after you move out and may want to keep the couch. So, where will your spot be?" Amy asked. "Will you make a new spot using the new chairs downstairs?"

Sheldon considered this. He hadn't even missed his spot once he set foot in the new house or even felt like he needed to figure out where his spot would be. "Amy?" he said, looking around at the stunning home interior while cuddling with her on the couch, "this whole house and you are my new spot. I don't need the leather couch anymore. This whole house and you beside me make me feel the same way that I felt in my spot."

"Really?" Amy was a bit shocked.

"Yes, ever since we walked into this house and the whole time we were in Texas, you were by my side. You make up for my need to find a spot. My peace and stability came from my spot before, but you now bring me that peace and stability. This house has a peacefulness about it as well and I feel like I no longer need to have a spot" Sheldon replied.

"That really means a lot to me, Sheldon" Amy replied, leaning up to give him a peck on the lips. "Are you sure you won't want to designate a specific spot though downstairs as yours? "

"Well, we could go back down and look at it again. Come on, I want to think about where I would put things there anyway" Sheldon suggested. Amy got up first and the two of them head back down stairs to look at the man cave area.

Walking over to one of the desks, Sheldon commented "This one can be mine, and the other one yours" Sheldon suggested.

Amy considered this, but also liked the office upstairs. Then she thought about if she were up there, she wouldn't be spending much time with him. "I am torn. I love the office upstairs a lot. But I want to be able to be with you, even if we are just working at our respective desks" she continued.

"Why not make the upstairs office for house related things, you know…like bill paying and keeping records on maintenance items. Then any research or just surfing the net kind of thing, you can do that down here." Sheldon suggested.

"That sounds reasonable, but if you are not around and I want to surf the net or update Facebook, I may do that upstairs as well" she wanted to be clear that she would be using both places.

"Okay, but you will need to keep the space upstairs less cluttered. It is a smaller room. Not that I am advocate of clutter or mess, but sometimes when you are working on something, you just need to be able to have things stretched out while you are working on it" Sheldon remarked.

"True, I will want the upstairs office to be tidy all the time because it is next to the foyer and far more visible to guests."

Sheldon got up and walked over to the theater area and began to sit in different chairs. He swiveled them, reclined them, and tested all their features. Finally he said "Amy, this one will be my spot down here and this other one yours" he said to the first row of chairs where there were only two chairs. "No one else will be allowed to sit in our chairs."

Amy nodded, feeling more like the Sheldon she knew was back. She knew he would feel more at peace if he had a spot in his home. "I like that. I think this can be the place you come and relax and think when you need to shut out the world."

His eyes lit up and said "That's right! I do need a place to do my reflective thinking. I can set my whiteboard right here" he gestured to a location very close to his new spot. It can be moved out of the way when we are watching something on the large screen, or playing games, but otherwise it can go right here."

"Let's head back upstairs. I am kind of cold down here" Amy suggested while she shivered.

Sheldon walked over and noticed that there were separate thermostats down in the basement from the rest of the house. "It appears that there is a separate heating source for down here" Sheldon commented.

"Well don't turn it on. We would be paying for heat that no one is using" Amy chastised.

They head back upstairs and sat again on the couch snuggling up and just enjoying the dancing flames in the fireplace, which were starting to lose some of their strength. After a while, the fire was significantly reduced down to near embers. Sheldon checking his watch suggested "I think we should lock up and head back to the apartment now. It is a little past my normal bedtime", even though a part of him didn't want to go anywhere but upstairs. He thought about the large King Size bed and how much rolling around he and Amy could do there. It put a small smile on his face which did not go unnoticed.

"What are you smiling about?" Amy teased.

"Oh nothing, just thinking about when we will be sleeping here and living here" Sheldon replied.

"Yeah, it is kind of hard to leave, isn't it?" she said while looking around and moving to turn off most lights. The house was on automatic timers on many things so she didn't disturb those. They wandered through the house, checking all doors and windows to make sure they were secure on all floors. Once they were satisfied, Amy grabbed the paper that had the security code information and she and Sheldon set the alarm and shut the front door, locking it behind them. "Goodbye for now, house. We will be back soon" Sheldon said looking back at the house.

They got in the car, buckled up and took off to Amy's apartment. After completing their nightly routines, both crawled into bed and snuggled, but neither went to sleep right away. Both of them had so many ideas about the house and upcoming wedding in their heads that they had a hard time falling asleep.

The next morning, the two of them showered, dressed, ate breakfast, cleaned up and dashed off to work in Amy's car. As she dropped Sheldon off, "Will Leonard be driving you home?"

"Yeah, and we will be having a game marathon night after" Sheldon reminded Amy.

"OK, just wanted to make sure I wasn't supposed to come by and take you to your apartment." They lingered a bit not wanting to leave each other. Sheldon finally leaned over and kissed Amy and told her to have a good day and ran off to the building. Amy exited the parking lot heading to her lab.

Amy had a productive day at work, but managed to get a few other tasks for the wedding accomplished as well. She text'd Sheldon "_Checked with US Passport Office. Can't get passport with married name without certified marriage certificate. Will have to travel under maiden name, I guess_."

Sheldon was at his desk when he received Amy's text. He was having a frustrating day. While he tried to concentrate on work, his mind was racing with so many things. The text message was just another frustration. He finally walked out of his office, carrying his bag over his shoulder, telling Alex "I'll be back in about 30 minutes" without any further information.

"If someone calls, what should I tell them?" Alex pried.

"Just say I will be back in about 30 minutes and will get back to them" Sheldon barked. With that he went downstairs to the basement. He looked to make sure no one was following him. They weren't. He unlocked the door and flipped on the light, closing and locking the door behind him. Setting his bag on a small table, he brought out the small box, and took out the small ball. Stretching a bit, he began to let it bounce off of his knee, feet, and hands. He didn't bother counting this time. He wanted to let the movement help him focus. Something was trying to come forward from the back of his mind. It was a breakthrough idea and he needed the motion and activity to help him focus. "That's it!" he finally got the breakthrough he was wanting. "Drats, I won't see her tonight though" Sheldon thought. He played a bit longer, this time counting and recording the numbers, then packed up the ball back in the box, placing both inside his bag. He unlocked the door, slowly opening and peeking outside to make sure no one was in view, turned off the light and ducked out of the door, relocking the room.

Once Sheldon returned to the office, he asked Alex, "did anyone call?"

"Only Amy. She said she would call back later" Alex replied. "I would have let you know she was on the phone had I known where you went" she kept trying to learn why he disappeared so secretively.

"It isn't important. I will be talking to her soon. She understands" was all he would reveal. He opened the door to his office and closed it "busy body" he muttered after shutting the door as he pulled his bag over his head and set it down on the credenza next to his desk. Pulling out his cell phone he called Amy.

"Hey Cuddles" she answered.

"Hey beautiful. I heard you called."

"Yeah, I just wanted to say hi and to see if you had a satisfactory lunch today." Amy and Sheldon always checked up on little things like this with each other. They were concerned about their health and wellbeing so this was not unexpected.

"Yes, it was my usual for Wednesdays, and yours?" Sheldon inquired.

"I went to lunch with my grad students at an Indonesian food restaurant nearby. It was good, but I have to admit, that I picked at it more than ate it. My mind was racing too much about so many things. I can't wait until we are married and can live in our new house" Amy said.

"About that" Sheldon started.

Amy got nervous because of his tone of voice "You…you…you are not thinking of backing out, are you?"

"Of course not, actually quite the opposite." Sheldon went over to his office door and put his head up against it to listen with his Vulcan hearing. He heard Alex muttering to herself as she was going through some files and clearly sounded uninterested in what he might be doing in his office. Convinced it was safe, he walked back to his desk and continued in a near whisper voice, "I have a proposal, but I don't want anyone else to know."

Now intrigued, Amy asked "well, what is your proposal?"

"I was disappointed to learn the information about the passport and well just everything that has been going on and the house and all" he wasn't explaining things very well, especially for Sheldon.

Amy let out a sigh with slumped shoulders "so what are you trying to say, Sheldon. You are making me nervous" her eyes welling up.

"What I am trying to say is, I want us to elope on Friday at the Courthouse. I don't want our friends to know, nor our family" he started.

"What? What about all of the planning, and deposits" Amy started to freak out.

"Calm down, Amy. Wait for me to finish."

"Okay, sorry…proceed" Amy waited calming down as she did.

"I think we should elope, without knowledge of our friends and family because I still want you to have your dream wedding and for our family and friends to witness our union, but here was my rationale behind eloping. One, it lets you get a passport in your married name because we will be able to get a certified marriage certificate for your passport. Two, it lets us move into the house, which quite frankly, I don't like sitting idle while we both are paying rent for apartments and knowing we would rather be there. Three, it lets us…umm…." Sheldon blushed.

"Lets us what?" Amy had an idea, but she was going to force him to say it.

"It lets us be fully united…you know…as in test out our nice new bed" Sheldon was still shy about expressing his sexual desires.

"In other words, it lets us have coitus" Amy said frankly, but she had a huge smile on her face at the time.

"Umm..yes" Sheldon replied.

"Don't you think our friends will say notice that we are no longer living in our apartments?" Amy loved his plan in a way, but she also wanted to make sure nothing would upset what plans had already been put in motion.

"I thought of that. But here is my idea for a solution to that. I think we should plan to tell everyone about our house Friday night…" he started, "you know…before we go to our new house and….uh…initiate it as husband and wife."

"Wait, Friday night, isn't that the night we are supposed to be at the DC Pavillion?" Amy interrupted.

"Yes, but after I thought we could go out for a drink or something and then tell everyone about the house. At that time, we could mention that we have decided to move into the house until the wedding, suggesting we will be staying in separate rooms until the wedding" Sheldon suggested. They won't know if we are sleeping separately or not. I can move clothes in a room downstairs to keep it legit looking" Sheldon suggested.

Amy pondered this for a bit. "Who would we get as witnesses for the elopement?"

"Well, I think we should just ask a couple of people at the court house to act as our witnesses" Sheldon suggested. "We can't ask anyone we know or else it is likely to get out to others."

Amy considered this. "You really want strangers witnessing our elopement? What about anniversaries? Do we celebrate the elopement date or the wedding date?" As much as Amy liked the idea of knowing she would be married to Sheldon as early as Friday, she was a bit apprehensive pulling off the logistics, and part of her just was confused how they would look at this years from now.

"Amy, in many other countries, you are required to have both a civil and a second actual wedding ceremony. Most people have two weddings. We would be no different than them. We can do smaller more intimate and private celebrations of our union on our elopement date and larger celebrations on our wedding date. It will be the date all family members will recognize as our anniversary date" he pleaded.

"So what do you plan to wear on Friday" Amy started to think it could work.

"A suit, of course. It still is a momentous occasion" Sheldon's smile came through his voice.

"I suppose I could go shopping tonight instead of having a girl's night. I haven't asked any of the girls about tonight anyway" Amy said. She had forgotten to ask the girls to do something because the house sort of took her mind off of everything else, except her family and Sheldon, that is.

"Are you certain this is what you want to do?" Amy inquired.

"Yes…more than anything. I want us to be married and living together as man and wife as soon as we can" Sheldon admitted. "Amy, I love you and I want to be with you as much as I can. It is hard being apart from you. I will admit, it is hard waiting for us to consummate our marriage as well."

"I know. I feel the same way" she said in a softer, more sultry tone. After a couple of silent moments, she said "Okay, let's do it!"

"That's my girl!" Sheldon exclaimed. "Oh boy, my mind isn't going to be on games tonight, I can tell you that." Sheldon's mind was racing. He could hardly wait.

"I had better go. I really need to get a lot done because I will be out in the morning with Bernie at the doctor, which by the way, you better pack your condoms and bring them to the house just in case, for our elopement night. Whatever choice I make, may not be taking effect right away. Therefore, we better have a back-up plan for protection" Amy informed.

"Done. I never unpacked them from my bag. They are still in it, sitting in my office even now as we speak" Sheldon admitted.

"Oh gosh, I have to go. I really have a ton of things to do. You made my list a bit longer, but it is worth it" Amy said. "I really have to get back to work. Love you and will talk to you later. I will call you before I head out shopping" Amy offered.

"Okay. Love you too" and with that he disconnected the call. He smiled knowing that by the same time on Friday he would be married to Amy. Alex knocked and walked in, looking at him with his goofy grin. "What's with the smile?" she asked.

Sheldon snapped out of his reverie "what do you want?" he barked.

"I just wanted to let you know that Dr. Gablehauser dropped these off and asked that you see him once you have had a chance to review them" she said handing him a few documents.

Sheldon took them from her and began to look through them. Alex just remained standing where she was, not really sure why. "Is something else on your mind?" Sheldon looked up and asked, sensing she wanted something further to say.

"I was just wondering if you could tell me something…about Raj, that is."

"What about him?"

"Has he ever been able to talk to women?" Alex wanted to know if it was just her that he had a problem with or other women as well.

"He can only talk in front of women if they are mingled in a classroom or lecture hall type of environment…otherwise, he remains mute in front of women. Is that all?" Sheldon asked, wanting her to shoo out of his office.

"I never see him with a girlfriend. Is that why?" she continued to ask.

"Koothrappali has many reasons why a woman may have difficulty wanting to consider him for dating material, but selective mutism would likely be high on their list, yes" Sheldon responded. "This conversation is getting tedious. May I suggest you get back to your desk and accomplish something?"

Alex took the hint and exited his office, getting back to the files she was looking through and making notes.

Sheldon finished studying the documents that Alex had just brought in from Dr. Gablehauser and got up to go speak with him as requested. About 20 minutes later he returned and looked at the time. He translated the time difference and decided to place a Skype call to one Dr. Tavish Angus MacGregor. It would be early in Scotland, but not so early as to be offensive. Pressing the call button, he took a deep breath, hoping that he would get a response.


	19. Chapter 19: A Call To Scotland

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

"Dr. Cooper?"

"Yes, Dr. MacGregor. Thank you for answering my call." Sheldon opened.

"I am delighted you were willing to call" Tavish replied. "I have been following your work since you were 16 years old."

"Really? That is surprising" Sheldon was truly astonished.

"Yes, you are impressive. I was intrigued by some of your theories and have followed your progress. I feel you are very close to a Nobel Prize, Dr. Cooper. I read your latest article and found it fascinating."

"Thank you. I called you because, as you know, I am engaged to Amy. She just learned of your existence and her relationship to you in the last week and still needs a little bit of time to process all that she has discovered" Sheldon started. "Let me explain the set of circumstances that led to the discovery, if you would not mind."

"I would be very interested to know what she has learned" Tavish encouraged.

"Amy and I became engaged on Thanksgiving Day while attending dinner at her parent's home…well we thought it was her parents at the time. We had decided that we would fly to Texas a week later and tell my family in person. It was while we were visiting my family in Texas that she was encouraged to look into her roots. My mother encouraged it as did my Mee-Maw. "

"Mee-Maw? I am sorry, who, or what is a Mee-Maw?" Tavish had not heard the term before.

"I believe you would know the term better as grandmother. Where I grew up it was common to call grandparents Mee-Maw and Paw-Paw or Pop-Pop."

"Thank you for the clarification. I had not heard the term before" Tavish made note.

"I did some research with Amy and we learned that she had been born by Iona, your daughter, and that Iona passed away giving birth to Amy. We also learned that her father, Winston, had been involved with Jane Anne Jackson, who is his current wife and the woman that Amy has known her whole life to be her mother. "

"I suspected Winston would not have told Amy the truth about her mother" Tavish said with a bit of underlying anger.

"No, he had not. As we continued to dig and look for more information, it had been apparent that Jane and Winston had been involved romantically long before he married Iona. It also appeared that they still were in regular contact while he was married and that she became Iona's caregiver during the latter half of her pregnancy with Amy."

"Yes, that is correct. In fact, Winston and Jane were having an affair, which Iona, unfortunately learned about while carrying Amy. She loved Amy from the moment she was given news she was carrying her, and so tried to focus on Amy instead of her sham of a marriage" Tavish replied.

"You said there was bad blood. Did you want to share what you mean by that? I mean is there something beyond the affair, which I am sure could cause tension" Sheldon pried.

"I think that is a topic to be shared face to face, not over the internet" Tavish responded.

"I suspected you would feel that way, as would I. And that is not my real motivation for what I am about to propose." Sheldon started.

"I'm listening" Tavish was curious.

"Amy and I have a wedding planned in February, on the 14th and I wanted to surprise her with a trip to Scotland, so she could meet you and possibly other relatives while there. That would be our honeymoon trip and a chance for her to finally connect with a part of her family that has been missing in her life."

"I would be very pleased if you would come to Broxburn. You are welcome to stay in my home. You two would have a lot of privacy, a whole wing by yourselves" Tavish offered.

"Thank you and I would like to take you up on the offer. But I also would like to ask you for a favor" Sheldon continued.

"Proceed" Tavish was intrigued.

"From our wedding planning discussions, Amy had planned to walk down the aisle by herself since she is angry with her father for lying to her all these years, and she is still unsure whether he will come once we have a chance to confront him with our recent knowledge. Therefore, I would like to propose that we fly you over, I would pay for all your expenses, so that you can not only attend our wedding and see your granddaughter get married, but also do the honor of escorting her down the aisle" Sheldon explained his plan.

Tavish was overwhelmed with emotion. His eyes welled up and with a very shaky voice he responded "It would be a dream come true for me to be able to attend my grandbaby's wedding." Tavish took a couple of seconds to compose himself and then continued "I would be honored to walk her down the aisle, but you do not have to pay my expenses. I am a wealthy man and certainly can afford to fly over and walk my grandbaby down the aisle for her wedding."

"At the very least, I wish you would stay at our home, the one you so generously purchased for Iona and then deeded over to us" Sheldon insisted. "I may put you up in a hotel the first couple of nights, but then we would like you staying here for a couple of days before all of us head to Scotland" Sheldon suggested. "I want this to be a complete surprise to Amy, so would ask for the first night you stay elsewhere so she won't know you are here until the wedding day. I would like that hotel-room stay to extend through the wedding night as well. I envisioned we would let you visit here for a few days following our wedding night, before we would all fly together to your home, if that is acceptable to you."

"I have no issue with staying in a hotel and yes, it would be nice to get to know you and your works more and to see where Amy works. I cannot tell you how touched I am that you would even consider giving me the time of day after not being in touch with Amy all these years" Tavish admitted.

"I am not certain it has crossed Amy's mind at this point. She is still unraveling all of the information and trying to process it. I think she is more focused on the lying from her family here and wanting answers from them" Sheldon revealed. "But I hold no anger or hostility. I understand you were placed in a difficult situation and I actually sympathize with what you have gone through."

"That is very generous of you. I am very pleased that Amy has found such an admirable and brilliant young man in her life. You do love her, I can tell."

"Yes, I love her more than anyone or anything" Sheldon confirmed. "You will love her when you get a chance to know her. She is truly the most remarkable woman I have ever met. She makes me smile just thinking about her" Sheldon said, smiling his special smile just for her.

"I am very much looking forward to meeting her. We have so much time to make up for" Tavish reflected. "I also would like to know about her work. I have read her articles and see that she has quite a reputation in her field of study."

"Oh yes, she is very accomplished. I spent a vacation week working with her in her lab and I was very impressed. She is one of the top in her field. I know you will be proud of her" Sheldon beamed.

"I already am, but I can see you are as well. That amount of admiration from you is quite a feat, because I am certain, based on your works, that it takes a lot to impress you" Tavish shared.

"Yes, you are correct in that. I do not give out compliments easily. Academic and scientific accolades must be earned before I am willing to be impressed." Sheldon concurred. "Sir, I look forward to future conversations with you, but must get back to completing some daily tasks at work. May I Skype call you again say in a couple of weeks so we can work on logistics for your trip to the US?"

"Yes, I would enjoy that. Thank you for contacting me Dr. Cooper. I am very happy that you will be part of our family. I look forward to meeting you in person."

"Thank you, I look forward to that moment as well. Well goodnight, Sir, until then."

"Good day. I would tell you to send my love to Amy, but since we are keeping this a surprise, I guess that won't do. Just give her an extra kiss from me" Tavish winked and then nodded goodbye to Sheldon.

"Will do" nodding back and both disconnected the call. Sheldon looked at his watch and tidied up his desk, locking some documents away. He then grabbed his laptop, put it in his bag, grabbing his cell phone, and jacket he turned off the lights and left the office.

"I am leaving for the day. Have that analysis on my desk first thing in the morning" Sheldon ordered Alex.

"Goodnight, Dr. Cooper." Alex looked up just briefly enough to acknowledge then went back to pouring over the documents she was reviewing.

Sheldon arrived at his apartment at 6:00 PM and started to put out snacks for the evening. Leonard would be coming home with the take-out. Sheldon set out game controllers and looked through his game collection and pulled a few choices for them to vote on to play.

Howard was the first to arrive. "So Sheldon, what's new with the wedding?"

"It seems that Raj was trying to sabotage the reception, but we managed to put him back on track" Sheldon revealed while studying an equation that was still displayed on his white board. He finally noticed what had been troubling him with the equation for so long and went over and made a change. He studied it a bit longer and satisfied he turned to Howard and asked "Have you and Bernadette found a new place to live yet?"

"We are taking our time" Howard defended. "Bernie knows that it is still a touchy thing with my mother and we are not in a rush."

Raj arrived with Leonard on his heels. After placing the take-out boxes on the coffee table, everyone began to dig in.

"Gentlemen, we will be starting our play at exactly 7:45 PM. Please plan your bathroom breaks with this in mind." Sheldon informed. "Which brings us to the topic of what game we want to play, suggestions?"

"Halo" Howard immediately cast his vote.

"Halo works for me" Raj agreed. Leonard also nodded agreement.

"Well now that that is settled, let's finish eating and taking turns with the bathroom so we can start on time." Sheldon commanded.

Amy arrived at Glendale Mall and began to browse for dresses. She wanted to find something still in white…she was virginal after all…for the elopement. It would be hard to compete with the gown she selected for her wedding, but this had to be special, just more understated. She wished she could have asked Bernadette and Penny to join her, but she knew that would only open a can of worms.

After about four stores, she walked into a smaller boutique. A woman approximately 60, beautifully dressed and every hair in place, approached Amy. "May I help you, dear?"

"Yes, I am looking for something special to wear for an elopement" Amy stated. My fiancé and I are going to be having a full wedding in February, but because of complications with passports and other things, we decided to go through an elopement to resolve some of those issues." Amy found herself revealing far more than she intended, but this woman had a demeanor about her that welcomed truth.

"Oh, that is so romantic. You know, my husband is from Germany and we had two weddings, a civil wedding and then a full beautiful church wedding" the woman revealed. "It is very romantic. I thought it would take away from the wedding, but oddly enough, it sort of made the day more exciting. We could relax more and enjoy the wedding because a lot of the expectations for later that night had been removed…not that it ruined the honeymoon either." The woman reminisced.

"Thank you. You have managed to comfort me in a way from your story" Amy appreciated. "I am looking for a fancier white dress…something that is more me though. A lot of the dresses are too low cut, too revealing, too short, strapless, and those are just not me."

"Oh I believe I have just the dress for you, "the woman winked. She moved back to a rack closer to the back of the store where more formal dresses were located. Moving a few dresses aside she finally pulled out a hanger with a lovely white dress hanging from it. The dress was mainly a lace overlay sheath, with higher circular neckline. The sheath was made of floral blooms lace, with three-quarter inch sleeves, and the scallop-hem. It was street-length. Under the sheath was a white-slip dress that had small spaghetti straps, a bodice that was sweetheart shaped allowing a whisper of a cleavage to show through the sheath. It had built-in bust support as well. The rest of the slip flowed down into a slight A-line form that matched the overlay. The slip was slightly shorter than the overlay to accommodate the scallop edge-line of the sheath. It was simple, yet elegant, modest, yet sexy. It was perfect in Amy's eyes. "Do you have that in…"

"Try this one on, dear. I believe it will be the perfect fit" the store clerk suggested before Amy could even give her a size.

Amy took the dress and went into the dressing room and tried it on. It was stunning. Even Amy had to admit that she looked beautiful in it. She knew it was the one. She stepped out to show the clerk.

Sucking in her breath and clapping her hands the elderly woman exclaimed "Oh my, if that was not made for you I don't know what was? You are absolutely stunning. You are going to take your young man's breath away."

"I have to admit, I too felt I looked good in this dress" Amy continued to admire herself in surround mirrors that were in an area across from the dressing room. She finally stepped back into the changing room and re-dressed in her clothing. Taking the dress she had tried on out with her she told the clerk, "I'll take it."

The clerk put a dress bag over the gown and handed it to Amy, after she completed the transaction. Amy thanked the clerk and then walked on to find a shoe store. She felt she should look for shoes to go with the gown. With the delicate look, she felt strappy shoes might be more appropriate.

The boys had been playing Halo and Sheldon was doing poorly. "Sheldon, what is with you tonight? That is the third time you made that same stupid mistake" Leonard yelled as he tried to help their team recover.

"Yeah, Sheldon what gives?" Howard nudged.

"He just has Amy on his mind" Raj said as he brought down Leonard in the last move he made. "The dude has it bad."

Sheldon paused his controller and looked up "What?"

"See, I told you" Raj continued.

"Koothrappali, what are you talking about?" Sheldon huffed.

"I just said that you are distracted because you have it bad for Amy" Raj repeated.

"You have it bad for my assistant and yet you have never even spoken to her" Sheldon dug back, sticking his tongue out at Raj.

"She's beautiful. I am in love with her", Raj fell for the bait.

"She asked about you today" Sheldon admitted.

"She did?" Raj's eyes lit up. "What did she say?"

"She wanted to know if you ever talk to women and wanted to know why you don't have a girlfriend" Sheldon replied.

"She wants a piece of this" Raj said, moving his hands up and down his frame.

"Yeah, she wants a piece of a guy that can't even speak to her" Howard said in his usual sarcasm.

"You could email her or leave her notes" Sheldon suggested.

Everyone turned to Sheldon in shock. He was actually trying to play matchmaker? They could not believe their ears or eyes. "So, you want to help him, Buddy?" Leonard asked in disbelief.

"It's just a suggestion. I would rather he do something than constantly whine to me about her" Sheldon defended. "She obviously has been thinking about him enough to ask me about a girlfriend, so why not see if she could put up with Raj and his inability to have a conversation without substances."

"Wow, remind me to thank Amy for the change in you" Howard commented.

"Excuse me, I have not changed. I am simply stating that for my own peace and quiet, let them see if they can work it out" Sheldon argued.

They all giggled and gave each other knowing looks.

Sheldon was very distracted and he didn't even care if they knew. His mind was racing. He was going to be able to make Amy his… legally and in full by that same time on Friday. He literally was in a daze thinking about it, wanting for the time to speed up. He also was thinking about his conversation with Tavish and was excited to work on the details regarding that visit, and he had to plan how to announce to the group about the house. He wanted to rub Howard's nose a bit. It had to be thought out.

Amy looked at various shoes and found a pair that wasn't strappy, but perfect. It was a 5 inch heel wit inch platform where the body of the shoe was lace over a metallic platform. There were sparkles that were discrete yet just enough shimmer to give the shoe a special quality about it. It was stunning and would match the gown she purchased perfectly. She asked the clerk if she could try them on, giving the clerk her size. A few minutes later, she had them on her feet and was walking around testing them. She decided they were comfortable, even if a high size and made her purchase. She found a matching evening bag that was in the same exact pattern and added it to her purchase.

Amy was about to leave the mall with the bought items, when she passed an accessory store. She had always wanted a hair adornment and began to look at a variety of choices. She found a beautiful comb piece that was unique. If she wore her hair pulled back slightly, the piece would work to one side and extend out from the front of her head back. It was beautiful and had a mixture of tiny faux diamonds and pearls. The delicacy of the piece would work perfect with her dress so she made another purchase.

Amy placed the bags in the car, put on her seat-belt, and took off from the mall back to her house. She wished she could tell someone about her purchases. She couldn't tell the girls, nor could she tell any family. She couldn't even tell Sheldon's sister. So she did the only thing she could and called Sheldon. She would just have to tell him that she had a lot of success and not tell him the details.

Sheldon's phone rang while the boys were in heavy battle. He paused the game and answered, getting up and walking back toward his bedroom as he did.

"Sheldon?" Amy asked after no acknowledgement when the connection was made. She knew he had picked up but he hadn't said anything.

"Must be Amy" Howard nodded toward his direction. "I guess that means we will not likely be finishing the game."

In his bedroom, Sheldon said "Hey beautiful…sorry for taking so long to answer, but I didn't want any ribbing from the guys. I had to walk back to my room."

"Oh, I am sorry to interrupt your game, but since I can't tell anyone about Friday's plans, I had to call someone because I am so excited, so I called you."

Sheldon giggled and said "I am very excited as well."

"Oh Sheldon, I bought the most amazing dress and shoes tonight to wear on Friday. I am so happy that I can't even think straight."

"I know what you mean. Leonard basically has been playing the game by himself, because I keep forgetting to pay attention to the game and our team is doing lousy."

"I'm sorry to make you lose your game."

"Don't be. So what are you doing the rest of the night?"

"I am actually thinking of packing up clothes into suitcases so I can start to move some things over to the house. I want to stop over there tomorrow to check on things and to bring over some of my clothes and toiletries there so that way when we go back there on Friday night, I will have enough things to get me through the weekend at the very least."

"I think I am going to do the same" he said while going over to his closet and pulling out a suitcase.

"Sheldon?"

"Yes?"

"I miss you. Do you think you could sneak away from guys night and come over for the night?"

"Sheldon? Are you almost done? We are still waiting for you to come back so we can finish this round" Leonard yelled through the door while knocking.

"Give me a few more minutes" Sheldon yelled back to Leonard, covering the phone slightly with his hand. "Take a bathroom break."

"Amy, I would love to sneak away, but I did promise the guys that I would be all theirs tonight. I may not be there mentally, but at least I attempting to show them I still care."

"I know. I just wish tomorrow was Friday. As it is, I am a bit scared about my appointment in the morning. I have never been to a gynecologist because I have never really needed to go to one" Amy admitted.

"I imagine it isn't one of the more pleasant visits a person can make."

"No, not from what I have heard from conversations Penny and Bernie have said about them." Amy continued "Well I had better let you get back to your game. So tomorrow, after I am done at the doctor's do you want me to come to Cal Tech and join you for lunch?"

"Yes, I would like that very much" Sheldon replied. "What about tomorrow night?"

"What about it?" Amy asked confused.

"Not to sound cliché, but your place or mine?"

"Sheldon, we will be getting married the next morning. I will want to get ready and gussied up for you."

"Your point being…you would rather we stay at your place?"

Amy knew she would want to be with him and the thought of spending tonight away from him was hard enough. She didn't think she could do it two nights in a row. "Yes, I think my place would be better as I will know I have everything I need to be ready."

"Whew, I thought you were going to say we couldn't spend the night together at first and I don't want to go another night without you." Sheldon was relieved.

"I was…but I felt the same way. Don't forget to remind the guys that we have that event on Friday night and want to get together for drinks with them after" Amy reminded.

"Oh right. Ok, I will remind them."

After a couple of silent seconds, Amy felt like she had better let him get back to his friends "Well I should let you get back to your game. I love you."

"I love you too. Sweet dreams of Friday to you" Sheldon smirked.

Amy giggled "Dreaming of Friday may not let me sleep" she teased.

"Now just what are you implying Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper?"

"You know exactly what I am imply, you horn dog!"

"Look who is the horn dog now?" Sheldon teased, loving every minute of it.

"Goodnight, Cuddles. Hugs and kisses are being sent your way. Love you" Amy smacked her lips, creating a "kissing" sound.

"Goodnight, Beautiful. Love you and same back at you" and Sheldon shockingly mimicked her kiss. With that they both disconnected the call. Sheldon sat smiling for a few moments then looked at the suitcase. He decided he would wait and pack the next day as he didn't want to raise any questions from Leonard. He got up and head back out to continue playing games with the boys.


	20. Chapter 20: A New Home Implant

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Amy's alarm clock beeped way too loud, or so she thought. She had gotten to bed very late, taking time to carefully pack up three suitcases of clothes, make-up and toiletries, items from her desk including a computer workstation and a few of the important papers that she wanted to move over to the new house.

Looking at the clock she grunted and then crawled out of bed, gathering things to wear for the day. She showered, and completed her morning ablutions and waited for Bernadette to arrive. Making a cup of tea she looked through the mail she never had a chance to get to before she went to bed the night before. There was nothing of interest.

Bernadette arrived right on time and Amy gathered her jacket and purse and head for the door.

"Good morning, Amy, are you ready?"

"As ready as anyone can be going to a torture chamber" Amy grunted. She and Bernadette started to walk down the hall to exit her building.

"It isn't going to be that bad" Bernadette tried to comfort. "Have you figured out what kind of birth control you think you want to use?"

"I am thinking about getting the implant" Amy replied. "After doing a lot of research, it seemed the least intrusive, while very effective and with little to no side effects."

"Yes, I have actually been considering doing the same. I have been using the pill, but it is not near as convenient and there are still many side effects" Bernadette said. "Maybe I will ask the doctor about it while we are there to see when I can schedule to get an implant as well."

They arrived to the parking lot, got in the car and took off toward the doctor's office.

"So you and Howard are not planning on any children in the near future?" Amy asked. "I mean you can get an implant removed and supposedly, according to the research the majority of women can begin to conceive within about 6-8 weeks from the date of removal."

"Yeah, that is another nice thing about it" Bernie said. "We aren't in a hurry to have children, so if it takes 3-5 years that is fine by me." Bernadette was still undecided about wanting children.

"I think after Sheldon and I have been married a couple of years, we may want to have my implant removed and attempt procreation" Amy stated. "I definitely want to have a child with him and he has confided that he too would like for us to have children. But both of us would like time to ourselves first."

"I know what you mean. I like having Howie to myself."

"But don't you sort of have his mother all the time?" Amy asked.

Bernadette rolled her eyes and griped "Another reason why kids are not an option at the moment. Until Howie can quit being his mother's little boy, he is going to have to wait for me to even consider having a child."

Pulling into the medical park, Bernadette parked up near a building that housed the doctor's office they would be visiting. They came in and registered at the front desk and took a seat in the waiting room.

Amy started to get nervous. "Is this going to hurt?"

"No, but you are likely going to be asked a fair amount of personal questions" Bernie admitted.

"Okay."

"Do you want me going in there with you, or will you be fine on your own?" Bernadette was hoping Amy would be fine on her own. She wanted to ask the doctor about her own situation, but she would rather just schedule a different time to do that.

"I think I will be fine on my own, but I appreciate you being here to support me" Amy nodded.

"Amy Farrah Fowler?" a medical assistant called. Amy stood up and followed her back to the exam room.

Bernie went up to the receptionist and asked for an appointment for herself to try and discuss getting an implant. She then went back to her chair and began to look through one of the magazines sitting on the coffee table.

Amy had changed into a gown for her examination and was answering a myriad of questions about her personal life. When it came to asking about her mother's history, Amy explained that she had just learned within the last week that her natural mother died giving her birth and that she had no knowledge about her medical history on the maternal side. Eventually the doctor finally came into the room and introduced herself. She and Amy discussed the various methods of birth control and finally agreed that the implant was the proper choice for Amy's medical condition and lifestyle. She prepared to perform the procedure on Amy, calling in her assistant to assist. Amy laid down while they performed the procedure, which took about 2 minutes at most, and put a band aid on her, explaining that she might find that location on her arm tender and possibly slightly bruised for a few days, but that the tenderness would go away and it was not a permanent problem.

After changing into her clothes again, Amy went to the front desk and made a follow-up appointment in three months, per the doctor's instructions and rejoined Bernadette.

"Mission accomplished" Amy said as she walked up to Bernadette.

"Really? That was fast" Bernie replied. "So they were able to do it today? Did it hurt?"

"Yes, it took only about two minutes to do the implantation, but the rest of the time in there was going from question after question. They also did a pelvic exam, which I have to tell you is not a pleasant experience. If it had been an attractive male doctor poking around like that, I might have found it more enjoyable" Amy remarked.

Bernie laughed as they walked out the door "Oh Amy, you make me laugh. You are so funny at times. So do you want to go get a bite to eat? I didn't have time for breakfast."

"I would, actually. I didn't have a chance to eat before the appointment either. I didn't want to have food on my stomach because I was a little nervous before…but now that it is all over, I am finding myself quite hungry" Amy accepted.

They drove to a cute little café that specialized in breakfasts and lunches only and just enjoyed talking about being married, the wedding and new discoveries in the field of biology.

Sheldon woke up and decided to pack up a fair amount of his more treasured things, as well as some of his clothes. He knew Leonard would go to work on time and this would give him a chance to load up the car without attracting suspicion from Leonard. Now that he was driving himself to work, Leonard didn't keep tabs on him as much.

Sheldon wanted to have everything packed and loaded in his car before he left for work and he wanted to make sure to be at Cal Tech well before lunch so as to not get anyone else asking questions.

Fully packed, Sheldon drove to Cal Tech and to his office. Passing Alex, he grunted and then closed the door after he entered his office. He pulled out his laptop and began to look through emails. Once he replied to a few, he turned to his white board and studied the equation sitting on it. His mind wandered a bit, but then suddenly it was as if as clear as day, he was able to adjust the equation and he just stared at it. He realized he had made a discovery that most assuredly would win him the Nobel Prize. Moving to his laptop he began to type furiously.

"Hey buddy, up for lunch?" Leonard poked his head in noticing Sheldon typing fast and furious. He frowned, wondering what he could be working on. Then he looked over to Sheldon's white board and nearly lost his balance. "Is that…Sheldon you did it!" he exclaimed. "You…you….you solved it!"

Sheldon looked up and smirked. "I know. I have been writing up my findings to submit to the Nobel Prize Committee. I know it is last minute, but if I finish this in time, I can get it out today and it will just make the deadline in time" Sheldon remarked.

"Do you want me to bring you something back from the cafeteria?" Leonard offered "That way you can stay and finish typing up your findings?"

"I'll have Alex pick it up. That is something she should be doing, not someone with your status" Sheldon remarked. Leonard grinned. It was the first time that Sheldon actually treated him as if he were more important than a grad student. He felt acknowledged…that his work mattered.

"OK, well good luck and if you need anything, give me a holler" Leonard said and left the door. Outside of Sheldon's office Leonard ran into Alex. "I think he needs you to pick him up his normal lunch order. He is busy trying to make a tight deadline" Leonard suggested to Alex.

"Did he tell you what he wanted me to pick up for him?" Alex asked.

"No, but I would expect his usual Thursday meal. Better duck your head in and verify with him though" Leonard suggested. He then left to meet up with Raj and Howard.

Alex knocked on Sheldon's door, opened it, and ducked her head in. "Do you want your usual for lunch?"

"Yes, thank you and tell them to give me an extra green Jello" he replied, not even looking up from what he was typing. Alex shut the door and walked back through her office and out to the hall to get to the cafeteria.

Raj was standing in line trying to decide which items were the least calories, yet still had some taste to them. Alex walked up and smiled. "Hi Dr. Koothrappali. Sheldon sent me to pick up his lunch. Can you hand me two of those green Jellos?"

Raj nodded and reached in and hand her the Jellos. He smiled back at her.

"Raj, after I drop off Sheldon's lunch, would you mind if I joined you and the guys?" Alex coyly asked.

Raj again gave her a thumbs-up and nodded that it would be okay. She picked up his hand and squeezed it in hers and said "Thanks, I'll be back in a few minutes." Turning, she then went to charge Sheldon's lunch to his account and head back with the tray to his office. Dropping off the food she dashed back out and picked up a salad, a bowl of soup, and a beverage. Approaching the table where the guys usually sat, she took a seat next to Raj and smiled. Raj shyly smiled back.

Leonard made note of the interchange between them and was a bit relieved. Alex had been very nice and friendly to him, but he knew it bothered Penny so he was glad to notice that it appeared that Alex might have an interest in Raj and not him. Howard noticed as well.

"So Alex, are you going to the awards ceremony tomorrow night?"

"I wasn't invited. However, if I went as a guest, I could come" she not-so-subtlety hinted.

"Raj, why don't you bring Alex as your guest? You don't have a date and that way we can make it four couples instead of three couples and you" Howard was never one to use tact.

Leonard sat back enjoying this. Raj squirmed and finally turned to Alex and put his hand out as if asking "you want to go?"

Alex looked a little unsure if that was what he is asking and turned to the guys as if asking for an interpretation.

"He's asking you if you would like to go with him tomorrow night" Leonard helped translate.

She turned to Raj and asked "is that true? Are you asking me to be your guest for the event?" Raj nodded slowly.

"Then, yes, I would be honored to be your guest" Alex smiled. Turning to the other two men she asked "Is this a fancy awards event, or is just business-attire or what should I wear?"

"No it isn't formal. It is more business attire than anything" Leonard replied. "Just wear a nice blouse and skirt or something like that.

Raj had pulled out a pen and was drawing furiously on a napkin and handed it to Alex. It was a drawing of a suggestion for her on what to wear. "Wow, Raj that is nice. I think I might have something like that. I will check tonight when I get home and if I don't, I will shop tonight at the mall and find something similar." Looking at a clock she then said "I had better get back to my desk. Dr. Koothrappali, can you email me logistics about tomorrow night?" she asked.

Raj nodded and got up as she did and bowed a "goodbye" to her. Once she was out of earshot, he high-fived Leonard. "Dude, I have a date with Alex. Thanks guys. I am so glad I have a date for tomorrow night."

Bernadette dropped off Amy back at her apartment so she would have her car to take to work and Bernie head to her own office. Amy packed up her car with the suitcases she had earlier packed and head to the new home.

Arriving at the house, Amy unlocked the door and turned off the alarm. Pulling in a suitcase, she left it in the foyer and then would get the next until she had all three sitting there. She closed the door and locked it behind her so that she could start to unpack. But before she started the task, she decided to go peek out the back door to see what the back yard looked like. She had not seen the house in the day and was curious.

Opening the door, she found the back yard was breathtaking. Flower gardens were arranged along stone paths that offered seating areas in strategic locations throughout. Every place was private and romantic and stunning. There was a sundial placed on a pedestal in one part of the garden, trellises with vines in a couple of areas afforded shade to seating areas. There was a fountain with water that streamed down multiple layers into a pool of water below. It was the centerpiece of the yard. Topiaries, trees, and flowers were the majority of the view. There were a couple of perfectly manicured grassy areas and there was a full vegetable garden and fruit trees were placed for optimal production. They all appeared to be dwarf varieties for better accessibility to the fruit. Lighting was strategically placed throughout as well.

"I am so going to make a cup of tea and enjoy sitting out here this weekend" Amy grinned widely, talking to herself. Birds could be heard chirping away, not only from her own yard, but throughout the neighborhood. Since the homes were built in the early 1900's, mature trees lined their street up and down. Her property had trees surrounding the outer edges near the stone wall, creating a lot of privacy.

Heading back into the house, Amy began to pull suitcases near where she would be unpacking. She pulled the one that contained items from her desk and placed it near the staircase leading to the basement. Two of the other suitcases contained mainly her personal items so she put them near the upper staircase. She took the one with her computer and important papers down first to the basement and started to unpack. She placed her files in the file drawer next to her designated desk, and pulled some files that she would take back upstairs. They were home related files and she knew that they had agreed that house-related things like bills would remain in the upstairs office. Hooking up her computer, she verified everything seemed to boot up and work correctly. She nodded in satisfaction when everything appeared to be working properly.

Once she had arranged the office downstairs, she brought back up the files she pulled to bring to the upstairs office and put those away. She then tackled the other two suitcases and hauled them up the stairs one at a time. She began to unpack and could not help but dance around in her new master suite. She was absolutely giddy as she started to arrange the closet, putting clothing away.

Taking a break, Amy called Sheldon.

"Hey beautiful" he answered. While he sounded happy to hear from her, she could tell he was a bit distracted.

"Is this a bad time?" she asked.

"It is never a bad time to hear from you" he replied, still typing away as he talked.

"I am at our house and putting my things away. I looked at the backyard and you won't believe it. It is like a garden you see at Versailles. It is stunning" Amy enthused.

"Uh…huh…that's nice" Sheldon said, still typing.

"Sheldon? Are you listening to me?" Amy was getting annoyed.

"Amy, I solved it today…the equation that I believe is going to win me the Nobel Prize. I have a tight deadline to get the submission in and I am close to being ready, but just have a few more final thoughts to put into it so I can get it sent off. Can I call you later?" Sheldon asked.

"You made the breakthrough you have been waiting for? That is wonderful Sheldon. I am so proud of you. Of course, call me when you get done. Why don't you plan to meet me here after you leave the office instead of my apartment? I plan to go pick up some groceries. I will cook us something for tonight."

"I like that idea. Thanks for being understanding. Love you and I will see you soon" Sheldon replied.

"Love you too." She disconnected and decided to run to the market to buy some groceries. As she was about to head out the door her phone buzzed.

_Are you and Sheldon having a date-night tonight or do you want to come over and hang out?_ Penny had text'd. As much as Amy would love to get together with her Bestie, she would rather enjoy dinner and her new house with Sheldon tonight.

Amy text'd back "_Sheldon and I are having date night. What are you wearing tomorrow night?_"

"_Oh I forgot about that, I don't know, is it formal_?" Penny asked Amy.

Amy replied "_No, just business attire. I think I might wear a suit I bought for University events like this_."

"_I don't know if I have anything business like. Do you think you can come by for a few minutes and help me pick out something_?" Penny sent.

Amy looked at her watch and it was only 2:00. She decided that she could probably get the groceries and put them away then head to Penny's around 4:00. She would only spend an hour and get back in time to make something for she and Sheldon for dinner.

"_How about if I come over for about an hour around 4? I am busy until then, but can drop by before I have to get ready for my date with Sheldon. Does that work_?"

"_Yeah, sure. Sounds good. See you then_."

Amy went to the store and decided to stock up since she and Sheldon would be living there after tonight anyway. She picked up Sheldon's usual favorites for breakfast and ingredients to some of his favorite meals his mother used to make, as well as some specialties she was wanting to introduce to him. After making her purchases, she came back to the house and unpacked all of the groceries, noting that there had already been several items in her pantry on hand. There were also bottles of wine on a wine-rack that she had not noticed the first time they saw the house. She added a bottle of champagne she bought for she and Sheldon to share after they come back from the Courthouse. Once the groceries were away, she took off to go meet up with Penny.

"What do you think about this one?" Penny asked, modeling what she would have picked as a first choice.

"While you look stunning as always in it, I think it is lilely a bit risqué for this academic crowd" Amy tried to tactfully respond. She looked through Penny's closet and pulled out a rather unusual outfit, well unusual for Penny. "How about this?" she held it up for Penny to see.

"Ummmm…Amy, that is Leonard's. I don't even like it on him. There is no way I am wearing that."

Penny then pulled out a black dress and a deep fuchsia jacket. "What do you think?"

"I think you found what you will be wearing" Amy replied. "It is perfect for tomorrow night. You will still stand out because of your beauty, but the outfit will appropriately blend in."

"I am not so sure I want to blend in. I would rather be making a statement, but a positive one" Penny pouted as she looked at the dress and jacket again.

"You will be making a positive statement, just not an offensive one" Amy stated. "You always stand out, Penny. Trust me, it will be perfect."

"Okay, well then I will wear this. What does your suit look like that you will be wearing?"

"Nothing as riveting as your outfit, I can assure you. It is a forest green matching skirt and jacket. The skirt is more circular and has a lot more movement than I normally wear. Rajesh actually suggested I buy it once when he tagged along with Bernadette and I shopping one day. It has a beige camisole that goes under the jacket and I have matching beige platform pumps that go with it. It isn't something I would have picked out, but he insisted and Bernadette said I had to buy it."

"It sounds like it will be beautiful on you. I can't wait to see it. So what do you and Sheldon have planned for tonight?" Penny asked.

"I am not sure. It is his week to pick" Amy lied. "Speaking of which, I had better get back home so I can change in time. I feel all sweaty in these clothes. I have been chasing monkeys around all day."

With that she took her leave and head back to the house. She quickly started preparing spaghetti with little hotdogs in it for Sheldon. She made a salad and covered it and put it back in the refrigerator to keep crisp and cool until ready to serve. She also made garlic bread and toasted it so it would only need a quick heat-up to be served.

Running upstairs, she quickly showered and changed into a clean outfit and touched up her make-up. She then ran back downstairs and set the table and finished making the rest of the meal. Her phone rang as she as putting the final touches on the table.

"Hey Cuddles" she answered.

"Hey, Beautiful. I just wanted you to know that I am about five minutes from the house. I will be there soon."

"Ok, perfect. Everything is ready for us to eat. See you then. Love you."

"Love you back."

Within five minutes, Sheldon pulled up to the drive and smiled as he entered his card key to the gate. He parked in back of Amy's car since she still had it in the drive. He then hopped out and went up to the front door and opened it. He ducked into the office and tossed his bag on the desk.

"I'm home" he yelled, as he wound his way back to the kitchen. He walked up to Amy and kissed her. "Smells good" he said as he pulled away from the kiss.

"It's all ready, go ahead and sit down" she said as she gestured toward the table. She then brought over the various bowls that contained the food, as well as the bread basket.

"Spaghetti with little hot dogs…Oh boy!" Sheldon always was like a little boy when his favorite meal was being served. "You are the best, Amy!"

"Well I figured we had a reason to celebrate" Amy smiled. "You did get it submitted in time, I presume?"

"Yes, I made it in time. Now we just wait and see" Sheldon replied, not hiding his excitement.

After the couple finished dinner and washed up, they unload Sheldon's SUV and brought his things in.

"Why don't you take this bag that has my clothes and put them away while I run downstairs and put away the things in this bag" Sheldon suggested.

"You trust me touching your personal items?" Amy teased.

"I had better. You will be touching more personal items than what is in that bag tomorrow night" Sheldon teased back, wiggling his eyebrows up and down with innuendo.

They unpacked his things and then curled up on the couch for a little bit.

"I was remiss in asking, how was the appointment this morning" Sheldon asked.

"Very well." She pointed to her arm and said "I chose to go with an implant and she was able to perform the procedure right there in the office. It is in this arm, so be careful with it. It will be sensitive for a few days."

"Is it effective immediately?" He asked.

"Given that I was not at the beginning of my menses, not as immediate as if I had been. It might work, but to be safe she recommended that we use a second form of protection, in other words condoms, for the first couple of weeks. She said that once the hormones react, then it will be more effective than most other methods."

"Does it have any side effects or will there be a problem with us conceiving when we are ready to make babies" Sheldon asked.

"Make babies?" Amy laughed. "I have never heard you put it quite like that, but somehow I like it. No, once it is removed, it takes about 6-8 weeks is all to bring hormones back to normal state. So there should not be any problems once we decide we want the implant removed. The side effects are mainly weight gain, which is pretty common among most birth control methods. But since I will be watching for that, I will make sure that it won't be a problem for us."

They cuddled for a while longer before making the decision to head back to her apartment to spend the night.

Author's Note: _ I will be changing the rating of this story to "M" after this chapter, due to some sexual content that will be coming._


	21. Chapter 21: The Elopement

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: The rating has been changed to "M" because of the sexual content moving forward.  
_

Sheldon woke up and rubbed his eyes, sun shining through the small window in Amy's bedroom. He looked over and realized that later this morning he would be her husband. Smiling, he leaned over and kissed her lightly on her cheek and then stroked her hair with his hand. He jumped out of bed, heart beating with anticipation. He could not wait and at the same time there was a tiny bit of anxiety setting in. He did not know if he would be a good husband, but he was determined to try. He hoped that they would be able to be one of the first couples married today. He moved over to the other side of the bed and bent down next to Amy and gently rocked her to wake.

"Wake up, Amy. Today is the day!"

Amy turned and faced him, rubbing sleep from her eyes. Once she focused, she literally tossed the covers and leapt out of bed. "Sheldon, what time are we supposed to be at the Courthouse?"

"Relax, we have plenty of time. We are to be there at 9:00 and it is only 7:00 he replied.

"Two hours is all? I still have to do so much. I want to look perfect" Amy fret, making up the bed and pulling out undergarments to take into the bathroom to put on after her shower.

"Go ahead and shower, I will make us breakfast and tea and will shower after you" Sheldon offered to try and comfort her. While he was excited, Amy was both excited and nervous. She knew that she would be a wife within hours and that included all of the duties of a wife.

After Amy had showered, the water had helped calm her nerves a bit. She worked slowly, applying makeup. Once she was satisfied with the look, she then worked on her hair. That was far more complicated. She managed to get everything ready for the beautiful ornamental comb she had purchased, but was having difficulty getting it to set right. She finally got frustrated and, throwing on her robe over the sexy lingerie she had put on after her shower to wear under her dress, she opened the door and asked, "Sheldon, can you help me?"

Sheldon looked up and saw the distressed look on her face and immediately came over to where she was standing in the doorway to the bathroom. "What do you need done?"

"Can you put this in my hair? It is supposed to go back like this" she gestured trying to show him with it up next to her head how it should look when inserted correctly.

"Sure, growing up with Missy, I am used to hair emergencies. She made me fix problems she had, including braiding her hair, all the time," Sheldon tried to calm her nerves. He worked at the placement until it was perfect.

Looking at her reflection in the mirror, Amy was happy with the result. "Thank you, Sheldon" she said and she stood on her tiptoes to give him a kiss.

"Breakfast is ready. I kept it simple because I thought you might have a bit of a nervous stomach. I figured we could eat a more hearty lunch instead" Sheldon informed as he pointed to the coffee table where he set out their breakfast.

They ate their food quickly, both anxious to get to the Courthouse. "I will clean up so you can finish preparing" Sheldon offered.

"I am in good shape. I only have to slip on my dress and shoes at this point. Go ahead and shower and I can wash these, "Amy countered.

Sheldon nodded "All right. I would like to spend a little extra time getting ready myself." He walked back into Amy's room and gathered his belongings he packed for the ceremony and brought them with him to the bathroom.

Amy cleaned up the dishes and then walked back into her bedroom. She took off her robe and pulled on the beautiful dress she had purchased. After fighting a bit to reach and zip it up, she managed to get it fully fastened. She then began to look through her jewelry and selected a string of pearls and two drop pearl earrings. She looked in the mirror and admired the result. Pulling out her new pumps, she put them on and again studied her form. She hoped Sheldon would approve.

Sheldon emerged from the bathroom perfectly scrubbed, coifed, and tailored. His suit was black and his tie was a combination of black, silver and white. He had on a silver gray shirt under his black jacket. He was breathtaking. Seeing Amy for the first time fully attired, his breath hitched, pulse increased, mouth went dry and he definitely experienced all symptoms of arousal.

Finally clearing his throat, "You take my breath away. Amy, you are absolutely the most beautiful woman I have ever seen."

"Really? You like?" She smiled, thrilled that he seemed pleased. She turned around slowly for him to get a full 360 view.

"I not only like, I love!" Sheldon confirmed bursting with pride that he was marrying this beautiful creature.

"You are rather dapper yourself, Dr. Sheldon Cooper" she returned.

They just enjoyed exchanging looks of admiration for a few moments when Sheldon finally held out his arm and said "Shall we? Next time we see this apartment, you will be my wife and we will be doing final packing of your things."

Amy, looked around at the apartment one last time as a single woman then slipped her arm through his, picking up her new purse off of the edge of the dresser on their way out the door. They crossed the apartment and exited, making their way to the parking lot.

Arriving at the Courthouse, Sheldon showed the clerk the paperwork he had previously completed and filed as well as the appointment receipt. She directed the couple to the room where civil ceremonies took place. They followed her directions and were happy to learn there was only one other couple before them in line. While they waited, Sheldon paced around while Amy's nerves started rising. She wished they would hurry up with the other couple. She just wanted to make sure there would be nothing that could interrupt their plan.

"Dr. Sheldon Cooper and Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler" the clerk assistant called, as a happy couple passed them.

Amy and Sheldon entered and explained that they would need the court to provide two witnesses on their behalf. They showed the Judge their paperwork and answered a few questions. He turned to his clerk and asked her to hunt up two people who could be witnesses.

Once the Judge was satisfied and the witnesses stood in the room, he had the couple stand and face each other to exchange vows. Neither prepared their own vows for the civil ceremony, wanting to save those for the actual wedding ceremony. The Judge had them repeat the century-old vows and then pronounced them man and wife. There was no exchanging of rings, again because that would be done at the wedding, but Sheldon did replace the engagement ring he had given Amy back on her hand as a symbol to signify that she was now his wife.

They shared a sweet and tender kiss. The Judge signed their marriage certificate and they were given instructions as to where to file the certificate and get a certified copy.

Short, sweet and no frills, Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper and Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler left the Judge's chambers, now man and wife. They went down to the area where the Judge had instructed, filed their certificate, and were able to order a certified copy which would be mailed to their new home in two weeks.

"Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper, I like the sound of that" Sheldon smiled as he tried to digest the fact that he was now officially a husband. "I can't believe we did it!"

"Neither can I, Sheldon. You are now my husband…I have a husband! I never in my wildest dreams would have believed that I would have a husband one day, much less such a wonderful, handsome, and brilliant one!"

They just gazed at each other all goofy, standing in the middle of the walk way, blocking others who huffed by them. Broken out of their reverie by someone who brushed past so fast that they knocked into Amy, "Watch it, that is my wife…you come back here and apologize" Sheldon demanded, temper rising.

"It's okay, Sheldon. We have better things to be doing" Amy teased.

"You're right, let's get out of here" Sheldon grabbed her hand and they ran through the hall and finally exited the doors back to the parking lot. "I'm famished" Sheldon remarked. "Shall we go eat somewhere?"

"I have a better idea" Amy winked. "I could wait a bit longer, but would not mind working up an appetite" she continued to taunt.

"Oh boy!" Sheldon said. "Woman, I like your ideas." They got into the SUV and head straight for their new home.

Sheldon helped Amy out of the SUV and then they walked up to the front door. He opened the door and repeated what he had done the first night, picking Amy up and taking her over the threshold. "I decided now that you are officially my wife, it was appropriate" he explained to her.

"That's so romantic," she swooned.

"Race you up the stairs" Sheldon was already half way to the staircase.

"Not in these babies" Amy said, lifting up a foot to remind him of her platform pumps.

"I have to admit, those are rather sexy shoes" Sheldon taking note of them. "Or maybe it is just my beautiful wife whose feet are inserted in them."

They managed to get up the stairs without incident and began to kiss. Sheldon tossed his jacket onto one of the chairs in the bedroom and began undoing his tie. He tossed it aside as well.

Amy slipped her shoes off and treated them with a bit more respect by placing them next to the chair. She then stood upright and Sheldon began to unzip her dress, as she began to unbutton his shirt, pulling it, along with his undershirt out of his pants.

Sheldon slowly slipped her dress over her shoulders, taking special care of the delicate fabric. He really did like her dress and thought it might make a nice dress to wear again when they leave the wedding as her "get-away" dress. She stepped out of the dress and he placed it gently over the back of the chair. He then stepped back and admired her in her lingerie.

"I think…bed…quick" he said, as his eyes slowly took in the view. He loved every curve. He unbuckled his belt, unbuttoned and unzipped his pants and removed them, laying them over the chair.

Amy admired his erection being held prisoner in his briefs. They both threw back the covers on the bed and fell onto it kissing each other passionately. "I want to make love to my wife" Sheldon finally said while catching a breath from their passionate kiss.

"As your wife, I want to please you, my husband" Amy replied back in a very sensual voice. She was ready. She wanted to give herself to the man she loved with all her heart. "Do you have the condoms ready?" She knew it wasn't terribly romantic, but she still wanted to make sure they were protected.

Sheldon realized he had left them downstairs in his bag. "Drat. Be right back" he said running down the stairs in twos and hopping at the bottom of the stairs. He quickly rummaged through his bag, not wanting his arousal to grow cold. He found the box he needed and ran back up. Out of breath he re-joined Amy in the bed, setting the box on the nightstand. "Now, where were we?" He pulled her into a kiss. He kissed her neck and over to her ears. He let his hands began to explore her collar bond and lower to her breasts, liking the feel of the lacy bra. Even through her bra he could tell her nipples were erect and that made his length grow harder. Moving his hand to her back, he managed to unhook her bra with little struggle. She tossed it to bottom of the bed and grabbed his hand and placed it on her breast. He looked at her and said "You are perfect". He began to kiss her neck, collar bone, and then took her breast in his mouth, exploring her taste and the feel of her erect nipples, his hand playing with the unoccupied breast.

Amy decided to do a little exploring of her own. She moved her hands slowly down his chest and down to his waist. She stopped just shy of his crotch, looking at him for approval. He groaned at the feel of her hands touching him so intimately. She felt that was all the approval she needed. They continued to kiss as she touched his erection for the first time. She followed his length and back up. She touched the head and felt the soft pearly liquid of pre-ejaculation. She liked the feel of it and kept teasing the head with her fingers, while her hand pumped his shaft.

Feeling that he didn't want to hold back much longer, Sheldon let his hands travel down to Amy's panties and could feel the heated moisture through the fabric. He placed his finger under the waistline and pulled them off over her. "I want you, Amy. Are you ready?"

"Yes, please" she begged him.

He looked over and opened the box on the nightstand and pulled out a package and opened it. He handed the contents to Amy and suggested "you want to do the honors?"

She grinned and took the contents from him and started to unroll the condom over his shaft. Once it was in place, he rolled on top of her and guide himself for entrance. "I know this is supposed to hurt and I don't want to hurt you" he started, "I promise I will try to be gentle."

"Sheldon, take me now" Amy begged. In full arousal, all she knew is she wanted him bad. She pulled him into a passionate kiss as he began to enter her. Brushing up against her attached hymen, he hesitated briefly and then thrust into her. She groaned. The pain combined with the pleasure was ecstasy. Sheldon waited a couple of moments and she nodded that she was ready for him to proceed. He slowly moved and she moved with him.

As they rhythmically moving together, Amy kissed Sheldon's ears, neck, jaw, and mouth. The more he moved within her the more she wanted. She moved her hands down to his scrotum and caressed him, driving him wild. He continued to caress her breasts and kissed her neck, ears and mouth as well. Thrusting harder and harder, she wrapped her legs around him, moving her hips to guide him deeper. The pleasure was building and building to the point she could no longer contain it. She screamed out in full orgasm, knowing nothing as strong before. Gerard couldn't begin to compare. Her whole body shuddered with euphoria.

Almost simultaneously he released as well, feeling a euphoria he had never felt in his life before. He lay on her trying to catch his breath and letting small aftershocks continue to release. Once he started to soften, he pulled out of her and lay next to her.

Amy tried to control her breathing, still post-coital. She eventually evened out and was able to begin to think again. She turned on her side and nestled into Sheldon's side. He wrapped his arms around her, pulling her closer to him, still steadying his breath. They lay that way for a few moments. Finally he kissed the top of her head and asked "Did I satisfy my wife?"

"Satisfy is hardly the word. More like put your wife in pure ecstasy" Amy replied. "Was my husband satisfied?"

"It was pure rapture" Sheldon replied. "Amy, I think I am going to want to do that again and again. I now know why Wolowitz and Hoftstader were bound by their hormones."

As they lay in their new king size bed, Amy realized that she was no longer a virgin. While she smiled knowing that she gave herself to Sheldon, her husband…her husband for goodness sakes…she was now a wife...a part of her felt rather like she lost an old friend. She looked up at her new husband and all the melancholy of losing her virginity left her. She could not be happier than she was at that moment. She kissed his jaw, took her hand that was lying across his chest and stroked his cheek. "I love you so much."

Sheldon smiled down at her "I love you too. You had better love me, you are my wife now for all eternity."

"I like the sound of that," Amy giggled. "You make me so happy though. I just want to shout on rooftops that I am the wife of Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper."

"I know what you mean. I would like to scream that I am the husband of Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper, but I think it wise we only shout that within the walls of this house until Feburary 14" Sheldon advised.

"Yes, but you know what? As excited as I am to walk down the aisle and marry you again, nothing will ever take this day away. I love that we can have our own private day, it is sort of like our own private secret."

"Argh, why did you have to say the secret word?" Sheldon whined. "You know I hate secrets and am no good at keeping them."

"Oh sorry, it is our own project that cannot be shared…is that better?"

"Yes, much" he smiled down at her and then kissed the top of her nose. "Well Dr. Fowler-Cooper, I am still famished. As much as I want to lounge in bed with you all day and repeat what we just did, my stomach is arguing."

"Okay, how about if we share a quick shower together and then get dressed and head to the Cal Tech cafeteria. That way things will seem more normal, like I just dropped by to have lunch with you" Amy suggested.

"Do you honestly think if we shower together it will be short? Woman, the things I want to do to you in that shower, well it won't be short, let's just say that" Sheldon winked.

"Aw, come on, I dare you" Amy teased. She really didn't care if they were quick or not. She just wanted to enjoy her new husband. Sheldon, anticipating they may share some hanky-panky, without Amy noticing, grabbed another condom and held it in his hand.

"You are on! Race you" and they ran to the shower, each under their own rain shower head. Turning on the water and the water jets as well, they splashed water at each other and played, eventually falling into each other's arms, kissing passionately. Needless to say, the shower was initiated by the couple, and Sheldon won the dare. Taking much longer than Amy had suggested, they eventually did manage to suds each other up and emerge from the shower cleaned, dried, and then dressed.

"Let's make lunch short" Sheldon suggested. I want to get back here and enjoy holding you before we have to get ready for tonight."

"Deal" Amy replied, thrilled that her husband could not get enough of her. She was so happy that she was convinced she might betray their secret.

Arriving at the Cal Tech Cafeteria, Sheldon and Amy went through the line selecting their meals, Sheldon piling on more than usual. He had worked up quite an appetite. They charged their meals to his account and head to the table where Raj, Howard, and Leonard were seated.

"Dude, where were you? We came by to see if you wanted to come with us" Raj announced as they approached the table.

"We had some wedding details to deal with this morning" was all Sheldon would reveal.

"Leonard, Howard, Raj" Amy nodded her greeting. "Rajesh, do you have any updates for me on the wedding reception?" Amy was struggling. She could not stop grinning and needed to focus on something other than the fact that she was now the WIFE OF DR. SHELDON COOPER! She was absolutely giddy.

Raj provided an update to the two of them and they nodded, but neither of them had their minds on what he was saying. Sheldon asked Raj to repeat a couple of times and Raj eyed him strangely but complied.

"Sheldon, did you manage to get your submission in on time?" Leonard interrupted, uninterested in the reception details.

Sheldon lit up and turned to Leonard "Yes. I managed to get it in and got an acknowledgement of receipt back well within the deadline. Now, I just have to wait."

"It must be tough having to wait for a response from them" Leonard reflected.

"Yes, it is difficult, it may take months. I really don't know when I might hear back" Sheldon lamented.

"How about you, Amy? How is your research going" Howard spoke up.

"Actually, the most recent data correlations show a significant breakthrough. I am in the middle of merging some of the data with another aspect of the project that could lead to some interesting results. If my theory is correct, we may have found a way to block out addiction in highly addictive personalities. It could be the discovery of the decade."

"She is going to win her own Nobel Prize" Sheldon beamed. "We will be a joint Nobel Prize couple just like the Curie's. Marie Curie is one of Amy's idols." Sheldon's pride in his wife was captivating.

Howard, Leonard, and Raj set their forks down and just stared at him. They had never seen him so…well there was no other word but goofy in love…before. He was downright saccharine.

"What is with you, dude" Raj interrupted Sheldon's proud gaze at Amy.

"Hmmm…what do you mean?" Sheldon asked.

"You are not acting like you. You are…"

"Crazy in love is what he is" Leonard interrupted. "Go easy on him. He is a soon-to-be-groom and is bound to get a bit goofy now and again."

"Excuse me, I am never goofy" Sheldon took offense or pretended to take offense to cover the fact that he was already a groom. "Amy, would you like to join me in my office? I am growing weary of these simpletons." Amy nodded consent and the two of them snuck off to his office.

"Dr. Cooper, where have you been all morning?" Alex asked as he entered with Amy.

"I had some wedding details to attend to" was all that Sheldon revealed. "Is there a problem?"

"No, I just..well…I just didn't know where you were and Dr. Hoftstader was looking for you earlier and I couldn't answer him when he asked where you were."

"Did he say what he wanted? I just saw him in the cafeteria and he didn't indicate he had been looking for me."

"No, he said he would just go and see if Dr. Koothrappali could answer his question" Alex admitted.

"Well then, it is unimportant." Sheldon started to head to his office then turned back and, completely out of character asked "Did you manage to find the outfit you were seeking, the one that Koothrappali drew you?"

Alex's face lit up and she said "Yes, I found it at the mall last night. I can't wait for the ceremonies tonight."

"Very well. I will be picking up some papers and then Amy and I will be leaving for the day. I will see you later this evening" Sheldon confided. He walked into his office, Amy had already gone on ahead of him while he was talking to Alex. He shut the door and immediately pulled Amy into a passionate kiss. "I might suggest that we get the heck out of this place and back home immediately" he pleaded.

"Agreed. " Amy said, wanting nothing more than to enjoy her new husband alone. She was finding that she liked being a wife.

"Let me just grab this folder. I don't really need it, but I should look like I came here for a reason" Sheldon shrugged. He wasn't good at ruses, but for Amy, he would do just about anything.

"You are getting too good at deception" Amy teased raising an eyebrow. "I hope this does not become a habit. I don't want my husband deceiving me."

"I would never deceive you Amy. " Sheldon adamantly stressed.

They left the office a couple of minutes later and head back to their home. A soon as they closed the front door, both ran back up the stairs and began to repeat their earlier morning action. Clothes flying this time, they fell into bed and ravished each other, but making sure to be well protected.


	22. Chapter 22: The MacGregor Story is Told

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Having spent most of the day in each other's arms and making love, Amy and Sheldon finally had to ready themselves for the awards ceremony they were required to attend. Sheldon was being given another award, but at least he didn't have to make a speech this time. All of the gang would be there.

Dressed in her forest green suit that Raj and Bernadette had encouraged her to purchase, she came out of the bathroom all ready to go. Sheldon looked at his wife and for the first time was tempted to whistle. "Dr. Fowler-Cooper, you look amazing. You do me proud, woman!" he said, moving over toward her to kiss her. He loved the green because it brought out her eyes.

Sheldon was dressed in a dark green shirt, black slacks and had a black leather tailored jacket. Raj had become the resident fashion consultant. The guys had gone shopping several weeks earlier, knowing Sheldon was going to be getting the award, so he insisted that Sheldon pick out something for the event. He helped him choose what Sheldon had finally agreed to purchase. Needless to say, he looked hot and Amy made sure he knew "Husband of mine, you may have to bind my hands behind my back in that outfit. You are smokin'" she teased.

Sheldon giggled at her comment and put his arm out. "Shall we? Don't forget, we can't let on that we are married already, but tonight we break the news about the house to the gang and how we are moving here."

"Right. I have memorized the script you sent me" she replied. Sheldon still had a way of always wanting to get his lies scripted out and leaving no room for discovery.

Raj met Alex at her office since the banquet was earlier in the evening. He was dressed in a black suit with a maroon shirt, which sported gold and diamond cufflinks, and a gold tie. His shoes were black dress shoes that you could nearly see your reflection in they shined so much. He had gone earlier in the afternoon to his hairdresser to have his hair coifed. He looked elegant and wealthy.

Alex was dressed in the deep wine color dress that Raj had drawn out. She had found an exact replica of the drawing at the local mall. She had found wine colored pumps that matched perfectly and purchased those as well. Raj waved and smiled, with hand motions giving her thumb-up approval of her appearance.

"Thank you Dr. Koothrappali. May I compliment you? I have to admit you look like you came right out of a men's fashion magazine. You dress up well" she admired him.

Raj blushed and gave her signals asking for paper and pen. He wrote on the paper, "You look stunning, very beautiful. Thank you for wearing the dress and jacket combination I saw at the store that I knew would bring out the blue in your eyes and put color in your cheeks. I am so pleased you agreed to be my guest this evening. I hope you will have a good time."

Alex, blushed. She nodded and smiled at him and said, "I am honored to be asked by you. I am very much looking forward to it."

Raj then offered her his arm and they walked out of the building together, her locking up the office behind her. He helped her into his car and then walked around and got in the driver's seat. After placing their seat belts on them, they drove off to the banquet.

The awards ceremony was like most, for a few seconds of interest, you sat through two hours of complete boredom. At least they got a good meal out of the deal. Amy even convinced Sheldon to take a couple of sips out of her wine glass, which raised a few eyebrows in the group. They could not believe he wasn't freaked out about germs.

"Congratulations, Dr. Cooper" Alex offered. "It is quite an achievement."

Sheldon waved his hand as if it was nothing and then said, "Thank you."

"To Sheldon" Leonard said, raising his glass. Everyone around the table joined in.

"Alex, you look lovely tonight" Amy offered.

"She does indeed. She is the jewel of the table" Raj spoke up, now that he had a few drinks in him.

"Thank you and you look very nice as well" Alex returned to Amy.

"Dr. Koothrappali, you can speak" Alex turned and seemed surprised.

"Yes, I can speak once I have had a chance to get some alcohol in me. It brings down my inhibitions" he explained. "I had to have a few extra drinks tonight because you are so beautiful that my inhibitions were stronger."

Alex blushed. "It is nice to hear you speak. I like your accent."

"Thank you. Please, call me Raj or Rajesh. Everyone else calls me that" he insisted, leaning in closer to her.

"Thank you. I would like that, but at work I probably should stick with your formal name. Outside of work, however, I would like to call you by your first name" Alex admitted.

"Alex, would you consider going on a real date with me sometime?" Raj asked.

"I would like that very much" Alex replied.

"Bestie, you look fabulous as always" Amy turned and said "I have to keep her on my side" Amy whispered to Penny nodding toward Alex "keep your potential enemies close" she continued as she winked. "Sounds like you have nothing to worry about, however. She just accepted a date with him, which means too bad for my grad student."

Penny giggled. She wasn't too upset with Alex tonight because Alex seemed more into Raj than Leonard and that made her very happy. "Oh Ames, you crack me up. By the way, you do look nice in that. Raj was right in insisting you buy that." Penny studied Amy for a bit and said "There's something different about you….I can't put my finger on it."

Amy got nervous that she might have figured out that Sheldon and she had spent the afternoon making love or worse, that she knew they were married. She quickly tried to come up with a cover, "It must be my facial mask. I applied one last night and it usually makes my skin glow the next day."

Penny eyed her and then said "yeah, that must be it" but she still wasn't convinced. After a couple of seconds she added "So that hottie grad student of yours is out of luck, huh? Well he probably has a girlfriend anyway. Someone that cute doesn't stay single for long."

"Uh-hem…who are you talking about" Leonard interrupted. He didn't like the sound of Penny raving about some good looking guy.

"Oh nothing. Amy and I were considering setting up one of her grad students with Alex, but it seems she only has eyes for Raj" Penny leaned over and gave Leonard a quick peck on the cheek.

"I think they are cute together" Bernadette piped up. "Raj is a cutie and it is nice that he has a girl that has taken an interest in him, knowing he has selective mutism."

"I am surprised" Howard nodded in agreement.

"Amy, what is left to do for the wedding?" Bernadette asked.

"Well thanks to you and Penny, the flowers are ordered, the invitations are ordered and due to arrive any day now and the dresses we had covered before I left for Texas. Raj is taking care of the reception details for me, so I am actually in pretty good shape."

"Sheldon have you made honeymoon plans yet?" Howard teased.

"As a matter of fact, I have, but they will be a surprise to my bride" Sheldon replied, winking at Amy, knowing she would pick up on the double meaning.

"Where are you planning on spending your wedding night?" Howard pried.

"That will be none of your business, for I want no funny business" Sheldon shot him a glare. "However, now that you have brought up the wedding, there is something that Amy and I would like to share with all of you." He looked over at Amy to get approval of the timing. She nodded her consent.

"As you may know, Amy and I flew to Texas recently to inform my family of our intent to marry. While we were in Texas, my mother and Mee-Maw, and I dare say even myself, encouraged Amy to dig into her family roots."

"You see, my family was never big on family trees or even talking about family members. We were never encouraged to look back, only forward" Amy interrupted.

"Yes, so Amy and I did some digging into her family and we were given quite a shock" Sheldon continued.

"It seems that my father had been keeping a secret from me my whole life" Amy again interrupted.

Everyone was glued after her last statement.

"What was the secret?" Penny asked.

"My father had been married before to an Iona Amy MacGregor" Amy started.

"Amy? Oh my gosh" Penny started to catch on and covered her mouth at the news.

"Iona Amy MacGregor was from Scotland. She held a doctorate in Scottish History as well as a doctorate in Behavioral Sciences."

"Which is where Amy's natural inclination for studies involving behavioral sciences comes from" Sheldon interrupted. "What Amy is saying is that Iona is her natural birth mother."

"So, wait, so your mother isn't really your birth mother?" Alex asked for clarification.

"That is correct. My birth mother was Iona. The woman that raised me was Jane Anna Jackson. Jane and my father were at one time colleagues, lovers and then married and are still married." Amy explained.

"You keep saying was" Bernadette caught on immediately.

"Iona suffered an illness during her pregnancy with Amy that resulted in an early death at the time Amy was born" Sheldon continued. "She could not endure the process of childbirth."

"Oh Ames, I am so sorry" Bernadette leaned over and hugged Amy.

"So, Amy, your father and this woman Jane never told you that you had another mother?" Howard asked for clarification.

"No, I had no knowledge until we were in Texas."

"Are you certain the information you found was legitimate. I mean anyone can post anything out there about someone" Howard tried to make sense of the news.

"No, we have since had it confirmed. Which is what we were leading to" Sheldon replied. "You see, once we discovered the news, we returned home and ironically Amy had received a large envelope from the County Records Office here in Pasadena."

"Inside was a Deed of Trust to a home and the Deed was in our names. The Deed had my name as Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper and Sheldon Lee Cooper as owners." Amy elaborated.

"We contacted the law offices indicated in a letter that had come with the deed, as a point of contact for receiving the keys to the property, the next day. It appears that the home was purchased by Amy's maternal grandfather who is still in Scotland…"

"Wait, dude, are you telling me that Amy's grandfather is _the_ Angus MacGregor?" Raj started to put two and two together from the conversation he had with Sheldon just days ago.

"Yes, that is exactly correct, or to be more correct Dr. Tavish Angus MacGregor, the renown astrophysicist, is Amy's maternal grandfather. As I was saying, he had purchased the home for Iona, but just before Amy was born, Iona asked her father if he would make sure that Amy got the home should she die. It was her dying wish that Amy would have the home, and Iona never even was given a chance to see the house" Sheldon continued to explain.

"The house really is an inheritance from my mother and a legacy to her" Amy interjected. "Sheldon and I went to view the house and it is exquisite. It is a 1910 craftsman style home that has been completely updated and came fully professionally decorated and furnished" Amy gave the group a few minutes for the information to sink in.

"After we learned of the house and viewed it, we both fell in love with the property" Sheldon took over again.

"It is a dream come true" Amy interrupted.

"So wait, you now own a home?" Howard's eyes grew big.

"Yes, a very stunning home at that" Sheldon rubbed in.

"Do you know how much the house is worth?" Howard could not help but ask.

"The lawyer told me that just the property and house, without furnishings and frills was worth at least $3.5 Million" Amy said matter-of-factly.

Howard went pure white, while Leonard and Raj let out whistles.

"It must be way too much to maintain. So are you going to sell it?" Howard asked.

"No, we have no immediate plans to sell it. We both discussed it and we wish to move into the property this weekend. Amy will take the master suite, while I will move into one of the downstairs bedrooms until we marry. But we both agreed that it made no sense to be paying for rental properties when we already had a home that we owned." Sheldon rationalized.

"Buddy, does that mean you are moving out?" Leonard asked, eyes wide, while Howard began to fidget. He realized that he had been one-upped in the constant little rivalry between he and Sheldon.

"Yes, and I am going to miss you for a roommate Leonard, but I am hoping you will stay on at the apartment" Sheldon sincerely expressed.

"Wow, so I won't have to move? I had assumed you and Amy would want the place and began to look for alternative places to live. But I really didn't like what I had seen yet" Leonard continued.

"No, the place will be all yours. I have paid through the month of December, so you should be in good shape for a few weeks. You might consider finding another roommate to help with expenses" Sheldon suggested.

"I could move in with you and give up my apartment" Penny offered.

"Are you sure?" Leonard was shocked.

"We can talk about it later, but yeah, I think so…well maybe. Let's talk about it later. Maybe you should get another roommate until we have thought about it more" Penny was unsure.

"Alex, are you still living at home?" Amy asked.

"Yes, actually. I need to find a place of my own."

"If you would like, I could meet you at my apartment after I have moved my things to see if you would like to rent it. I could leave you all of my furnishings as I won't be in need of them" Amy offered.

"Where is your apartment?" Alex asked. Amy gave her the address and directions on how to get to the apartment.

"We can drive by her complex before we head back to Cal Tech to get your car tonight if you want" Raj offered. "At least you can see the outside tonight and then meet with Amy to see it later on the inside.

"I would like that, thank you."

"So Amy, tell us more about the house. It sounds lovely" Bernadette asked.

"Oh it is indeed. And it has a perfect room for our game marathons" Sheldon replied before Amy could get a chance to answer. 'It is fully loaded and guys, we are going to have awesome fun playing down there."

"What Sheldon is trying to tell you is that the entire basement is one big play area with a huge TV, 10 theater style chairs that recline and swivel and do all kinds of things, with cup holders. It has gaming tables and seating areas for conversation. It really is amazing" Amy enthused.

"What about the areas you care about Amy?" Bernie continued to pry.

"The kitchen is amazing. It is gorgeous and has new appliances and new laundry appliances in the laundry room. The whole upstairs is nothing but a huge master suite that even has a vanity built into the walk-in closet." Amy replied.

"When can we see it?" Penny and Bernie asked in unison, eyes glistening with excitement.

"Well since we are moving in this weekend, if you are all willing to help, you can not only see the house, but we will treat you to food and I am sure Sheldon would not mind hosting a few rounds of games with the guys" Amy said, winking at Sheldon

He smiled and nodded consent. "But we won't be starting too early tomorrow. How about the girls convene at Amy's apartment at 11 so you can pack up boxes and bring them over to the new house? Alex, if you want to help, you could see Amy's apartment as well as our new house. And guys, you meet at my, now Leonard's apartment at the same time and help me pack up my belongings," Sheldon went into leadership command mode.

"Sounds good to me" Penny and Bernadette agreed.

"That would be a great way to see the apartment" Alex agreed.

"Dude, you can count me in" Raj volunteered now that he knew he might get to see Alex.

"Me too" Howard reluctantly agreed, but his face showed he wasn't happy. He was curious to see the place though. He wanted to see if Sheldon was exaggerating.

"I live there, so yeah, I will help as well" Leonard added.

"Wow, this has been some night for you, Sheldon" Penny started. "An award and a house, not to mention you will soon be related to some hot-shot scientist."

"He is definitely very noteworthy and impressive. Amy has quite a legacy, it is no wonder she is the closest person to me I have ever met. She is so similar and now I am convinced that we will have the next generation of overlords when we decide to procreate" Sheldon beamed at Amy. She nodded and smiled back. "I pick 'em good."

"Sheldon, you didn't pick Amy, Raj and I did, if you remember correctly" Howard needed to remind him. Actually Raj deserves all of the credit, it was his idea in the first place and he helped come up with the right wording and blackmailed you."

"You may have entered my profile into the database and the database made the match, and Raj may have blackmailed me into going to the originally meeting, but it was Amy that made me want to exchange phone numbers and who attracted me from the moment we met."

"I did?" Amy was rather stunned. She was touched. He had never told her that and she was overwhelmed with emotion.

"Yes, I thought you were the most amazing woman I had ever met. I loved everything about you, which is why we talked for hours and exchanged numbers. I knew you were to be in my life, that you were my destiny" Sheldon admitted for the first time.

"Yeah, we know…mushy stuff, don't forget we are all here" Penny interjected with a bit of playful disgust. Everyone laughed.

After sitting through another hour of yadda yadda boredom at the awards ceremony, Amy suggested they all go for a drink and hang out for a bit longer. Everyone agreed not really ready to end the evening.


	23. Chapter 23: A Poetry or Body Slam?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Walking not far from the Pavilion, the girls all chattering away were quite a few feet in front of the boys. Suddenly about six men, tall, muscular, but looking fresh out of the 1960's in tie dye shirt sand bell-bottom jeans, raggedy and well, sort of biker-dude looking, came running out of a coffee house and grabbed Sheldon by surprise.

"Ack, put me down. AMY?" He looked in back of him while he struggled against them as they dragged him into the coffee house. Howard, Leonard and Raj followed not sure what to do, they were outnumbered and out-sized by the men who had hold of Sheldon. They wanted to make sure Sheldon would be okay, so entered the coffee-house & bar. The girls hustled back to the place and went inside as well. "AMY?" Sheldon kept yelling out for her while trying to wiggle free. "LEONARD, tell these men to let go of me….AMY? Where is the manager of this place? I want to file a complaint!" His efforts went on deaf ears. "AMY?" He continued to try and fight off his captors.

"SHELDON?" Amy yelled back. She kept trying to crane her neck to look above other people to see what they were doing to him. Amy and the girls were looking around and realized the place was rather grimey and grungy. From the posters around, they learned they were in a beat bar, where poetry readings normally take place. Amy tried to get up closer to where the men were holding on to a struggling Sheldon, his efforts met without much success. The place was crowded with beatnik types, artists and bikers which prevented everyone in the gang from moving forward.

"Ladies and Gentlemen, your guest emcee tonight will be" a Hells-Angel looking man at a microphone started to announce, he covered his hand over the mic and asked Sheldon his name.

"I am Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper and if you don't quit accosting me…"still wiggling and trying to free himself. "AMY? LEONARD? HELP!"

"Your guest emcee tonight will be Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper" the announcer then moved away from the mic and gestured for Sheldon to come take over.

"Excuse me, I am not an emcee and I have no intention on…."

Everyone in the beat bar started applauding, clicking fingers, yelling, and sending catcalls; drowning out any of Sheldon's protests. Amy and the girls looked at each other puzzled. Suddenly Penny realized what was going on.

"It's a poetry slam!" she yelled to the others. Leonard, Howard, and Raj had just joined the other girls and looked at each other puzzled.

"A poetry slam?" Amy asked, while still craning her neck to try and get a good look at Sheldon.

"Yes, I have heard of them" Alex agreed.

"What is a poetry slam?" Amy asked.

"A poetry slam is where you have random judges and emcees for the night, and volunteer poets from an audience in a place. The poems can only be three minutes or less in length and the whole point is how you present it. It has to be animated, not just a read. It is sort of like acting it out" Penny tried to explain.

"Yes, and the audience can be as rowdy s they want to respond. They can boo, hiss, scream, yell, clap, snap fingers…all which either means they like your work or hate it" Alex continued. "Outrageous is the name of the game."

"Hmmm….I might enter" Amy surprised them. Amy looked around for some paper. She found that the beat bar had pads of paper and writing implements around on various tables. She grabbed a pad and began to furiously write.

The guys were still in a daze, not sure what to do. "I think Sheldon is going to need a drink" Raj suggested. "Look at him, he is still fighting them."

"AMY? CALL THE COPS!" But for all the yelling Sheldon tried to do, the audience was louder and drowned out his efforts.

"A drink is wise" Amy suggested. She walked over to one of the beatnik waiters that worked at the establishment and asked him if they had anything alcoholic. He nodded and said yes. She asked if they could make a Long Island Iced Tea. He said they could, so she asked the man to have one made up and to give it to emcee to drink, pointing to Sheldon.

"Make sure when you give him the drink, you tell him that Amy suggested he drink it, that it is from her" she insisted. The man agreed and turned back to confirm "Amy, right?" She nodded and he went off to complete the order.

Sheldon was still trying to understand what the heck was going on while the men that had grabbed him were shooting information to him at such a rapid pace he was having a hard time processing it all. He still struggled against them as they were shooting off instructions. They were giving him the rules on being an emcee, trying to help him understand. He was petrified and kept struggling and screaming out to Amy.

A few minutes later, the waiter that Amy had spoken with approached Sheldon, who was still being held by the men who grabbed him off of the street. The waiter handed a drink to him and gave the message that Amy had given him. He even turned and pointed her out to Sheldon. Sheldon craned to see Amy and could just catch enough to know it was her, but could not see her face. He decided to comply. Taking a sip, he liked the taste and proceeded to down it quickly and asked for another one. The waiter came back shortly with a second drink. Sheldon only drank about half then set it down, walked up to the microphone and was about to talk into it when he was distracted by more rukus.

All the more rowdy, with amplified levels of racket, more people were being drug in from the streets. They were being asked to be judges and were given instructions on judging the poets.

"Well ladies and germs" Sheldon started, slurring into the mic. "Dr. Sheldon Cooper has a lot to talk to you about tonight" he continued to make a fool of himself. "Did you know that theoretical physicists…" he was really bad at jokes, but he kept them rolling off the tip of his tongue. He really was silly once he got alcohol in him.

Another one of the slam organizers from the coffee house asked if anyone wanted to participate in the contest. Amy volunteered immediately, shocking the rest of the group. The worker went up and handed Sheldon a piece of paper and told him to announce the first contestant for the night.

Sheldon nodded and started "Tonight you are going to hear some pretty bad command of the English language and for example, our first contestant this evening is none other than" Sheldon then unfolded the paper and read the name and his eyes widened, "Amy?" She nodded and gestured him to announce her.

"Our first contestant is Amy Farah Fowler-Coo" she glared at him and he suddenly remembered, shaking his head, "Oops, I mean, Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler".

The audience yelled and clapped as Amy took the stage. Using all kinds of hilarious facial expressions and hand gestures and basically acting it out, almost in a disturbing seductive dance, Amy began to recite:

_When you find the person who causes neuroplasticity,_

_It's not in the heart that you feel change, it's the brain_ (pointing to Sheldon's heart and head)

_Endorphins are released in the brain, not in the heart_ (pointing to Sheldon's heart )

Cat calls came from the audience because when Amy pointed to Sheldon's heart, it wasn't so much of a point, but her hands slowly traveled from his heart down to his stomach inching close to his waistline.

_Your brain_ (she said pointing to Sheldon's head) _and my brain connect (_pointing to her head_)_,

_Like interneurons connecting us, (_making a "call me" signal_)_

_neuron to neuron, _

_yours to mine and mine to yours_

Her hand gestures suggested the connection was more than the upper brain…it was hilarious. She was literally giving some hand motions that had the crowd roaring. They could not stop clapping and cheering and cat calling.

_I am the Amy in your amygdala, spelled A-M-Y-G-D-A-L-A_

_And the thrill in your thrilla, spelled T-H-R-I-L-L-A_

Again her gestures had the crowd roaring. Penny was whistling and yelling "You Go, Ames", much to Leonard's embarrassment. Bernadette threw in her two cents worth as well "Fowler Power!"

_My heart, trying to say what I was feeling (_pointing again to her heart and the moving toward her breasts, suggestively)

_ Pumped blood through every vein (_she began pumping her breast in a suggestive fashion)

_ Sent signals triggered in my brain_ (she wiggled as if shuddering in ecstasy)

_ And trickled down my arm _(her fingers seductively traveled from her shoulder down her arm)

_ Making my hand reach out for yours_ (she took Sheldon's hand in hers, and placed it on her chest, rather breasts)

The crowd was loving her poem and kept cheering her on.

_You are the Pacman camera that sucks (_moving her lips as if puckered into a sucking hickey kiss)

_ The tumors of longing from my loins_ (moving her legs to and pelvic area to emphasize rhythmic motion)

_ You make my nervous system_

_ DO ITS THING! COME PLAYTHING! COME! (_giving an organismic moan with accompanying body language)

She took a bow as the crowd clapped like crazy, cheering and screaming and waving their arms and hands. The place was wild and crazy. Amy grabbed Sheldon's hand, pulling him along the stage, trying to get down.

Sheldon threw the microphone out to the crowd and hopped down from the stage, helping Amy down to him. He pointed to the woman that caught the mic and yelled "You're it…you are now up as emcee" and wove through the crowd following Amy, who had moved close to rejoining the others.

"You go girl" Bernadette said as Amy approached the table. "I didn't know you had it in you."

"Yeah, Ames, you were awesome. I love this fun side of you" Penny yelled, she was a bit tipsy.

"Girlfriend, you were on fire" Raj gave her a high-five. "You really are the vixen that Sheldon calls you."

"Excuse me, but I think I was pretty good as the emcee" Sheldon started to boast. "And how dare you talk about my woman that way…only I can call her a vixen!"

Everyone at the table began to laugh when finally Amy, patting his hand said "You were charming as always" not wanting to discourage him "and I will always be your vixen, only to you."

"Beautiful, you are so hippie dippy. I didn't know you had an artistic nature to you." Sheldon smiled at Amy, surprised by her hidden talents. "I have to say, I like it…in fact I love it." As he was thinking about all the touching she did on stage he started to get aroused.

"Well Plaything, you need to get more in touch with your hippie dippy side too" Amy said wiggling her eyebrows.

"I think I'd like that" Sheldon whispered so that only Amy could hear then continued "Later…tonight, you are on!"

"That's the wild and crazy Ames we know" Penny teased as she witnessed the exchange between them.

"Sheldon, you two truly need to get a room and just do it!" Howard complained. He still wasn't happy with the news about their house. He had been in a grumpy mood ever sense.

"Howie!" Bernadette smacked his chest "Be nice. Don't you remember us before we were married? We were all lovey-dovey."

"What, you still aren't?" Raj complained. "You two are always lovey-dovey. It is rather sickening at times, for those of us that are single that is."

"Maybe you will get a chance to change that status soon" Penny said to Raj, wiggling her eyebrows and nodding toward Alex, who was talking to Leonard and Sheldon at the time.

After Amy, about five more volunteer poets shared their works. Some of the contestants had literally been booed off of the stage before they were able to complete their" three minutes or less" piece. Only a couple of others received some cheering from the audience. The judges then voted. After voting they handed the results to the emcee.

The woman that had taken Sheldon's place as the emcee took the stage and revved up the crowd with a pretty poor attempt at an ode, her voice was atrocious. Opening the paper that contained the judges' decision, she said "And the winner…tonight's poetry slam champion is…Amy Farrah Fowler!"

The crowd roared, clapping furiously, as Amy rose, heading for the platform. Sheldon stood up and joined in the crowd yelling loudest of all, giving his own set of cat calls to Amy, as she walked up and was handed a small trophy and a check.

Walking back to the gang, they sat around talking for a little while longer, congratulating Amy on her victory. Soon they all said their goodnights and parted separate ways, reminding each other of the big move.

Leaving the coffee house, Amy decided Sheldon was a bit too tipsy for driving so took over the wheel. Amy and Sheldon were pulling into their drive, Amy placed the card into the gate to allow them entrance into their driveway. Sheldon said "Woman, you sure do know how to make an elopement night interesting" giggling. "I have to admit, I was getting aroused when you were reciting your poem. I wanted to take you right there on the floor" he teased. He began to shake from laughter at his own comment.

"You should have. But since you didn't you have another chance. I will repeat my poem to you and perhaps perform a bit of a striptease if you would like" Amy enticed.

"Woman, you are so on!" Sheldon exclaimed as they got out of the car and opened the front door. Amy had a head start and dashed up the stairs with Sheldon on her heels. As for the striptease, it wasn't necessary. There wasn't time for such activity. A driver's engine is always revved and ready to go!

Sheldon practically ripped his clothing off and started on Amy's before she had a chance to get her shoes off and set aside. Within minutes, she was down to her lingerie, which Sheldon decided was, although beautiful and she looked hot in, far too binding for his taste. Her bra went flying, as well as her panties; suddenly his lips were enjoying the taste that only Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper could supply. He kissed her passionately and danced her over to the bed while keeping her embraced in the kiss.

Amy decided it was her turn to drive. She loved Sheldon being in control, but tonight was her night to shine. She immediately flipped him over and crawled on top of him, sitting her crotch over his. She dangled her breasts over his body, letting the nipples trail down his forehead, mouth and eventually over his chest. She moved lower and lower, scooting further onto his legs as she kissed his chest, stomach and eventually was facing his crotch. She looked up at him for consent, and took him in her mouth. He groaned in ecstasy, enjoying the sensation. He had never been given oral stimulation before and the feeling was powerful. The more rapid she pumped him and tasted him, the closer he came to wanting to release.

Amy decided that she needed him and before he could release, she stopped and pulled away, moving her body back up, slithering up his body, kissing his stomach, and chest. As she kissed him and moved so that her breasts were dangling over his mouth, she reached for a condom sitting on the nightstand, as he sucked on her breasts. She moved back to kiss his lips. She then moved herself slightly lower onto his legs again so she could slip the condom on him. Mission complete she turned around, facing his feet and angled herself to let him slip inside of her to finish off what she had started. Within moments the duo moaned, panted, and moved rhythmically in rapid motion. Amy flipped back around, facing him, so that Sheldon could thrust deeper within, and then came the cries of release.

Sheldon felt that it was the most erotic thing he could have ever imagined. Amy made him feel so much and so spent all in a matter of a short span of time. Within minutes both were fast asleep, not even concerned with changing sheets or showering.

The next morning, Amy woke first and started to get out of bed to urinate. "Ow, ow, ow, ow, ow" Amy said as she got off of the bed. Sheldon stirred awake at her grunts of pain. "Ugh…why are you so loud? Sheldon said, holding his head. After a couple of moments he realized she was grunting in pain. "Amy? Are you okay?"

"Ummm….not really."

"What's wrong? Are you in pain?" Sheldon became concerned. He still held his head in agony. He vowed to never drink alcohol again.

"Ummm…well you know, yesterday was my first time…when you were given my virginity…and well we sort of had a few encores….." Amy started to explain.

"Did I hurt you?" Sheldon felt guilty.

"Umm….it is just very tender today. I am having a hard time walking. I know it will get better, but I am a little stiff anyway and well, my genital area is feeling a bit sore" Amy explained.

She finally made it to her feet and tried to walk around a bit. The more she paced the room, the rest of her seemed to relax a bit and feel more normal. Just her lady area was sore.

Sheldon climbed out of bed and drew her into a hug. "I am sorry. I didn't mean to hurt you."

'It's okay Sheldon, it is normal for a woman to experience some soreness after the first time and well we repeated it several times yesterday so I was bound to be sore today" Amy reassured.

"Yes, but are you sure you don't need to see a doctor or something?" Sheldon worried.

"No, I will be fine. But I am afraid that it means I might have to look at alternative ways to perform my wifely duties today."

"Alternative ways?" Sheldon's interest peaked.

She slapped his chest with her hand and said "You really are a horn dog! I love it, but for now, I must urinate." She then pulled away from his embrace and head to the bathroom. While she was in the bathroom, after taking care of business, she decided to slip into the shower and prepare for the day. She thought the cleansing might help her tenderness as well. She definitely felt better by the time she emerged from the bathroom, dressed only in her robe.

Sheldon took his turn in the bathroom and while he was showering, noticed he too had a bit of tenderness toward the tip of his penis. He realized that sex was probably off the table for the day, which may be a good thing since the gang would be helping them move. At least his mind will be otherwise engaged. He knew that if Amy was around him a lot he would easily get aroused. He wanted to focus on the move and get that accomplished. Completing his morning routine, he emerged from the bathroom to find Amy dressed, bed made and her arranging decorative pillows across the head of the bed.

"It looks nice" Sheldon commented adding "and you look beautiful" while coming up behind her and hugging her. "It seems our marital relations for the day are going to be off the table. I too am a bit tender" he confessed. "I guess since we are moving our things in today, we will at least have good distractions."

"I'm sorry you are tender, but it was your first time too, and you repeated several times as well. So I guess we are in the same boat."

"Yes, so no funny business trying to force me into an erection today!" Sheldon ordered, pointing an accusatory finger at her, stifling a giggle while trying to look stern.

She laughed and he joined her giggling. "Yes, sir and if I misbehave, what will my punishment be?" Amy teased.

"Well….no…I won't think about that now because it will defeat my purposes. You know that just mere thoughts about such things could quite possibly arouse me. Stop it! We won't think about that" Sheldon determined, again having difficulty stifling a smile.

Amy giggled and then went off toward their walk-in closet. "Sheldon?"

Sheldon followed her in, 'Yes?"

"Do you think it will be okay if we just put your typical daily clothes down in the room you are pretending to sleep in and leave your suits up here?" Amy thought. She had forgotten they were going to tell the others he would be using a downstairs room when she unpacked his things the day before so now she had to back-track the work she had earlier accomplished.

"Yes, I think we can explain them away if someone should happen to see them hanging up here."

"What about your undergarments? Do you want to leave some up here that we can rotate out with the downstairs or have them all moved downstairs? Won't it be inconvenient on a daily basis?"

"I say let's just move them downstairs for now, but then we can move them back up after everyone leaves. I doubt they will be looking in our closet before the wedding again." Sheldon suggested.

"Okay that sounds good. Now, what did you do with all those condom wrappers? I don't want them to find those and make sure to hide the box back in your bag." Amy was afraid the gig would be up if they didn't cover every little detail. 'Oh and we should move your toiletries down to the other bathroom at least for today."

"Good idea. Let's do those things now and then we can grab a quick bite of breakfast before heading to our old apartments."

The duo moved his stuff back downstairs and checked the upstairs for any indication that he had possibly been there. They made sure the condom wrappers were tossed outside in the garbage, in a neighbors can. The used condoms had long been disposed of. Sheldon had made sure to put them, and the gloves he used to dispose the with into a plastic bag and then had tossed them when they went to Cal Tech, while he was getting rid of his lunch trash. He only had one condom to still deal with that morning, the one that was used after they returned from the poetry slam. So he followed the same procedure for disposal and decided to drop them into the apartment complex trash bin before heading up to the apartment.

Following cleaning up after having a quick breakfast, the couple checked one more time for any evidence that Sheldon may have stayed at the house and satisfied they had covered their tracks, they piled into their perspective cars, making sure to share a long passionate kiss first, and head to their perspective apartments.


	24. Chapter 24: Shacking Up?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Sheldon arrived at his apartment around 10:00 and began to sort through his things. He pulled out his list that he had created so he could check off everything. Slowly he began to put boxes together the he could fill up with his comic books. Once he felt they were solid and would not have the bottoms fall out, he began to load them into boxes. He heard the door open and keys toss into a bowl. Leonard had come home from who knows where.

"Hey Buddy, when did you get here?" Leonard asked as he walked by Sheldon's room.

"I have been up for hours and already moved some things over. Now I am starting on the comic books." Sheldon replied, stretching the truth a little to account for some of his things already being at the house.

"Ah, I stayed at Penny's then we went to an early breakfast, well early for her. Where do you want me to start?" Leonard asked.

"Take one of those boxes and start on the books in the living room" Sheldon suggested. Be careful with them. Make sure they are packed appropriately with bubble wrap so that books don't slide around and ruin the covers" glimpses of the Sheldon that Leonard knew coming through.

As Leonard moved out to the living room, Raj and Howard knocked and then came in. They grabbed some boxes from Sheldon, after initial greetings, and began to help Leonard pack up books from the shelves in the public area. "Be careful, you know how picky he is" Leonard warned.

Sheldon was already on box number two when his cell phone rang. Answering it "Dr. Cooper" he heard his mother's voice come across the line. "Shellybean, what's this I see on Facebook about you movin'?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes, not really wanting to have this conversation right now. "Yes, I am in the middle of packing now."

"Where are ya'll movin' to and if I am understandin' this correctly, it appears that you and Amy are shackin' up together" his mother continued, her opinion on the matter coming through loud and clear.

Sheldon stopped packing for a few minutes, shut the door to his room and sat on his bed, holding his head in his hand in frustration. "Mom, you remember all that Amy learned about her father while we were there, right?"

"Of course I do, but what permission does that give you to live together in sin?" Mary continued.

"We are not living in sin" and he felt he could be truthful about that. He was legally married and they had not had sex until they were married. Even the Lord Jesus Himself would not condemn them at this point, Sheldon rationalized in his head. "I will be in a room on a completely different floor than Amy until we are married" Sheldon continued, which wasn't really a lie…he was married after all.

"Shellybean, I know men and thy have a hard time controllin' themselves. How are you going to make sure that you don't sin?" Mary still argued.

"Mom, if I haven't sinned this long, why would I start? You have to trust me, and more important Amy on the matter." Sheldon continued. "Now let me explain where we are moving and why."

Mary calmed down and agreed "All right, explain."

"As I started to say, you know that Amy learned of a whole new side of family that exists in Scotland…you know…while we were there we learned about it."

"Umm..hmmm. I already know that Shellybean. What does that have to do with the move?"

"When we came back to Pasadena, Amy found in her mail a large envelope from the County Records Office with a Deed of Trust to a property left in our names" Sheldon began to unfold the story.

"A Deed? You mean like to a house?" Mary's interest suddenly perked up a bit more. "And it had both of your names on it?"

"Yes, it had Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper and Sheldon Lee Cooper on the Deed."

"Well, I'll be. So was it from her Daddy?" Mary asked.

"No, it was from her paternal grandfather, a Dr. Tavish Angus MacGregor…actually the Dr. Tavish Angust MacGregor, who many call the father of astrophysics" Sheldon boasted.

"So Amy's Pop-Pop left her property?" Mary was confused.

"With the Deed came a letter telling us that we could pick up keys to the property from a law office. Amy made an appointment and met with the attorneys and confirmed he was her grandfather and Iona, her birth mother's father. The house had been purchased for Iona and when she was dying she asked her father to make sure to hang on to the house and give it to Amy. He agreed and it would be done when Amy was within six months of matrimony according to the agreement" Sheldon continued.

"So are you tellin' me that because you and Amy are gettin' married soon, you were allowed to now have the property?" Mary was still trying to understand.

"Yes, basically that is the case."

"Well just one thing, Shellybean, how in the world did her Pop-Pop learn she was gettin' married?"

"It ends up he had been following Amy on Facebook, just like you do. And because she posted about our engagement online, he was able to find out about the impending nuptials. He and the lawyers have been basically been using the internet to keep as informed as much as possible about Amy all these years." Sheldon continued.

"Well why didn't he just come to see her or somethin'?"

"That part is still a bit unclear, but there was bad blood that passed between the MacGregor side of the family and the Fowler side. Evidently Amy's father had some sort of legal court order that prevented contact" Sheldon shared what little he knew.

"Well, I'll be. That girl sure has a lot of mystery in her family. Poor thing, she must really be confused. So has she seen her daddy yet about all of this?"

"No, that is something we plan to do after we move." Sheldon admitted. "We went to look at the house and, Mom, you would love it. It is beautiful. It was built in the 1910's and has been completely updated and kept in perfect condition. It has two stories and a full basement" Sheldon tried selling her on it.

"Ummm..hmm…so you definitely are gonna do everything to make sure you and Amy remain pure until the wedding night?" Amy wanted reassurance.

"Yes, Mom. I can guarantee you that we will not sin. Amy is fragile about all of this family drama and there is no way I would take advantage of her in any circumstance, much less when she is so vulnerable" Sheldon assured. "Besides, I have other news I think you will find exciting" trying to divert her off of the topic.

"Well wait, before you tell me your other news, so why can't you just stay in the apartment until you marry?"

"Because, it makes no sense. The house is huge and why pay rent when we own the house outright? We don't owe a dime on it. So for two months, we can save salaries that can be applied to the wedding and honeymoon" Sheldon reasoned.

"Well, I guess that does make sense" Mary admitted, but still there was a hint of disappointment and concern in her voice.

"Of course it makes sense. By the way, you will be staying at the house when you come out for the wedding" Sheldon admitted. "I will probably stay with Leonard the night before the wedding so that the guys can get ready here and you ladies can do your beautifying the morning of the wedding at the house."

"Sounds like you have it all planned out. So what is your other news?" almost afraid to ask.

"I solved a problem that I had been working on for months. It was very challenging, but I knew if I could solve it, it was a great shot at the Nobel Prize. I was able to get my submission in for consideration before their deadline" Sheldon boast.

"Oh Shellybean, I am so proud of you. So when will you find out anything?"

"It could take months or even years. I really won't know until they contact me, and I can tell you the wait is going to be difficult. It is a good thing I have the wedding plans and honeymoon to distract me" Sheldon replied.

"Now Shellybean, your weddin' and honeymoon with that sweet girl are hardly supposed to be distractions…they should be your priority." Mary scolded.

"Of course they are my top priority, I just meant that they will be a welcome distraction so that I keep my mind off of the wait is all. Of course I am placing Amy first." He was disgusted his mother would think otherwise. "Mom, I really need to get back to packing. Is there anything else you wanted to talk about?"

"No, I was just trying to figure out why you are moving. Your Mee-Maw has been askin' about you. Make sure you try to call her soon, Shellybean. She loves both you and Amy and likes to be kept in the loop" Mary requested.

"Send our love to Mee-Maw and tell her that we will be calling her soon. I love you Mom and so does Amy. "

"I love you both too Shellybean. Give that precious girl a hug and kiss from her Mama" Mary demanded. "Well, give me your new address and details once you get settled in."

"I will Mom, goodbye" and he ended the call. He sat quietly on the bed for a minute, looking around the room and realizing he was closing a big chapter in his life. A part of him felt a bit sad until an image of Amy popped in his mind bringing a smile to his face. He nodded and then went back to packing boxes.

"Sheldon?" Leonard called out from the other room.

Sheldon walked back into the public area of the apartment and asked "Yes?"

"What do you want done with these?" Leonard asked pointing to the Green Lantern and other things still out on the bookshelf, and the sword that they jointly shared. "We both own this" Leonard said pointing to the sword.

"You can have the sword. I think I will only be taking what is owned 100% by me" Sheldon stated, realizing he never really did look that much at the sword after they bought it and that it really was rather foolish of him to have purchased it and done so little with it.

"Dude, tell us about the house? You said it is worth big bucks?" Raj interrupted.

"Yes, it is worth quite a fortune. I am still having to determine what kind of budget we will be on after we pay taxes for it and maintenance costs. I have not seen the back yard yet, but if the gardens in front are any indication, there may be some significant upkeep" Sheldon remarked, picking up another box and starting to pack up items from the hall closet.

"I wouldn't want a house that is a lot of work" said Howard still showing his sour grapes. It really was making him stew that Sheldon was going to be giving Amy more than he could give Bernie.

"Well it is fortunate you don't have a lot of upkeep since your mother deals with those things at her house that you and Bernadette live in" Sheldon just could not resist rubbing it in Howard's face that he still was living at home with his mother.

"Sheldon, what about these?" Leonard asked, interrupting on purpose "do they need any special packing instructions?"

"Yes, give them double bubble wrap, please. I think I have everything out of the closet now and will go back to packing in my room" Sheldon then took his exit.

Amy arrived at her apartment at 10:00 AM as well and began to pull her bedding off of the bed, and pack up the rest of her personal items in her room. She heard the girls giggling in the hallway as they knocked on the door.

"It's open, come on in, Bestie and Bernadette" she yelled. The girls piled in and had brought bagels with several topping choices, as well as special coffees.

"Ames, come get a snack." Penny called.

Before Amy could respond, there was another knock on the door. It was Alex. Penny opened the door. "Oh come on in, we were just about to have some bagels and coffee…help yourself" Penny offered as she stepped aside for Alex to enter.

Alex looked around at the public area of the apartment and liked it. She felt that once Amy's actual items were removed, she could dress it up a bit to make it less "frumpy" and more "contemporary", but overall she was happy with what she saw.

Amy walked out and said "I ate breakfast already, but save me one to have later. Oh, hi Alex."

"Dr. Fowler, good morning. I really like this apartment. How much did you say the rent was per month?"

Amy and Alex sat down and Amy showed her the overall costs for everything. Most things were included in the rental price and the only things that she would have to pay for extra were phone and cable for her TV. But other than that, everything else was inclusive, including a parking spot. Alex felt it was well within her budget so she would take the apartment. Amy called the landlord and gave an introduction to Alex and let them talk about the details.

"Penny, can you and Bernadette start packing up my bookshelves?" Amy asked. "I am almost done in the bedroom and then would like to pack up the desk. If you can't both fit to do the shelves, maybe one of you can do the bathroom?"

The girls were packed up in no time since Amy was leaving, not only the furnishings behind, but everything in the kitchen would be left behind. She didn't need any of it, other than the food items in the cupboards and refrigerator. Alex had agreed to pack those.

Within two hours the girls were completely done, and even had had a chance to vacuum the carpet, clean the bathroom and the kitchen, as well as mop the kitchen and bathroom floors. The apartment was spic and span. Amy was a bit like Sheldon when it came to keeping things spotlessly clean. She disinfected everything; even Alex felt was a bit overboard and kept telling her it wasn't necessary. Amy would not hear of it.

Cars packed up with all of her items, Amy gave the address to Bernadette, who was carrying half of her belongings, who would be driving Alex with her to the new home, while Penny rode with Amy.

Arriving at the new house, Amy slipped in the card at the gate and punched in a "hold" button that would keep the gate open until she disengaged the "hold". She pulled into the drive, leaving enough room for Bernie's car and for Sheldon's SUV.

"Holy crap on a cracker!" Penny exclaimed. "This house is amazing!" She could not stop looking at everything. She felt it was the most beautiful home she had ever seen, well that anyone she knew owned that is.

Bernie and Alex got out of Bernie's car and just stared. "Amy, I cannot believe this house? It is stunning! You must be so excited "Bernie cooed.

Amy walking up to the front door, holding a box, set the box down and unlocked the door, disabling the alarm. "Wait until you see the inside" Amy enthused. She was bubbling with pride and could not wait to show her gal pals.

They all stepped inside and it literally took their breaths away. Penny whistled "I know I can't do that when Wackadoodle is here, but sometimes a whistle is the only way you can really show appreciation for something. Amy, it is incredible. Your tree is beautiful."

"Where do you want these?" Bernadette asked, pointing just outside the door to the boxes. "Do you mind if we leave them there for a few minutes while you show us the house? I really want to see this gorgeous place."

"Sure, let's go on a tour and we can get them after" Amy was so excited to show them her home. They went from room to room and the girls were just blown away. By the time Amy showed them the basement, which she saved for last, they were speechless.

"It is so Sheldon" Bernie commented as she continued to look around the huge game room. "The boys are going to love this room. We may never see them again."

"We will see them, because we will be over here" Penny pointed to the bar and conversation area.

"Oh wait, I want to show you where we all might be while the boys are being children playing their games" Amy teased. "Come on, back upstairs."

They went upstairs and then Amy opened the door to the backyard. Their breaths hitched in unison. It was so beautiful that they couldn't even figure out where all to look. "I thought we might want to be sitting out here in the sunshine on cooler days and under the shade of these trellises on warmer days enjoying our glass of wine and just relaxing" Amy commented.

"It is like a fairytale" Bernadette commented.

"The grounds are beautiful. I love how there are so many seating areas "Alex piped up.

"Oh Ames, we could have so much fun out here" Penny exclaimed. "We could even put lawn chairs on the grass and get tans."

While they were in back enjoying the premises, they heard Sheldon's SUV pull up and another car pulling up in front of the house. Loud voices from the men all arguing yet again about zombies verses mummies could be heard.

"Dude, this place is incredible! It reminds me of home in a way "Raj exclaimed.

"Sheldon, I can't believe this place. It is beautiful" Leonard commented.

"Yeah, it's nice" Howard shrugged.

"Gentlemen, wait until you see what awaits us" Sheldon bragged.

Heading to the front door, Sheldon grunted "Women! Why didn't they bring these inside? Howard, Raj, each of you pick up one of these boxes and bring them inside and set them in the foyer. They don't belong sitting on the front porch."

Once the boys came inside, Sheldon started to give them a tour. They all were soaking in the beauty of the home, when Sheldon said "And le pis de resistance" as he led the group of men down to the basement.

"Holy crap on a cracker!" Leonard exclaimed.

Howard finally perked up waking up from his previous jealousy. "Just think of the marathons we could have here. What do you have hooked up already…in for a game?" enthusiasm finally bubbling forth.

"Dude, this is the ideal man cave and we get the benefit of you owning it." Raj signaled thumbs-up at the same time.

Sheldon was enjoying the reaction from the guys, but started getting curious about the girls. "Let's go see where the girls are. They must be out back."

They all climbed back up the stairs and wound to the backdoor through the kitchen. Sheldon had not yet seen the yard either so he was gob smacked.

"There you ladies are" Leonard finally said, when Sheldon stood there just taking it all in.

"Dude, this yard is perfect. We should have had your reception here" Raj said, eyeing the fountain.

"Excuse Me…we are not going to have a bunch of people trampling our yard, ruining its perfection" Sheldon finally came out of his trance. Finally spying Amy, he walked over and drew her into a hug. Whispering, he said "I missed you." He then leaned down and kissed her gently on the lips.

She whispered back, "I missed you too. Did you get everything packed?"

"We have to go back for another load, but otherwise, yes. I'm all packed; we just could not fit it all in Howard's car and my SUV. How about you, did you get all of your belongings packed?"

"We got it all loaded in Bernie's car and my car. We even got the apartment cleaned. Alex is going to take it" Amy replied.

Raj saw Alex and moved toward her and smiled. She walked toward him, to get closer and smiled back.

"Thank you again for last night, Raj. I had such a good time. I am looking forward to our date."

Raj nodded and smiled wide.

Penny noticed the two and realized Raj was going to need a drink to speak with Alex. "Ames, you have any wine?"

"Oh excuse me, where are my manners, yes I do have some wine. Let me bring it out."

"Amy, instead why don't you prepare it inside, and we will come back in and join you so that we can begin to unpack the cars. Most of my boxes will go down into the basement. I only have a few boxes that will go in the bedroom," Sheldon suggested. He wanted to get the boxes in and try out the new game room with the boys.

With that, the group came back into the house. Amy busied herself with preparing the beverages for everyone, while the girls and guys all started to bring in boxes. The women brought up any of Amy's personal items to the Master Suite, and all bathroom items.

"Ames, where do you want these books and the things from your desk to go? The office? Penny asked.

"No, they all go down to the basement. Sheldon can show you which desk area." Amy yelled back.

Sheldon located his personal items and put the boxes labeled "bedroom" into the bedroom, knowing he wasn't really going to keep most of them in there. He then ran down to the basement to direct placement of boxes.

"Amy, do you want us to unpack the boxes themselves, or just leave them up here" Bernie yelled down.

"Just leave them there, Sheldon and I can unpack boxes over time. I still am not sure where I am going to put everything and I may not even keep everything" Amy yelled back. Amy finished pouring wine in several glasses. She located some fruit, crackers and cheese and laid them onto a platter and placed everything on her kitchen island for easier traffic flow. She also set out some water bottles, a couple of sodas and even some red vines and junior mints.


	25. Chapter 25: Penny's Suspicions

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

"Beverages and snacks are available to whoever wants them" Amy yelled. Thundering of footsteps treading upstairs and downstairs could be heard as everyone head to get to the main floor and the kitchen.

"I can't believe this house, Ames. It is amazing" Penny still was in awe.

"I agree. It is just beautiful, Amy. I can see why you are excited to move here. I could not have kept away" Bernadette joined in gushing.

Raj grabbed a wine glass and immediately took two large gulps. Within minutes he was able to start chattering. He approached Alex. "So when would you like to go out? Is there something special you would like to do?"

"Anytime will be good and whatever you pick is fine" Alex said, not making it easy for him to decide.

"Well since we are not going to unpack boxes right now, we should be done here fairly early. Would you like to go out tonight?" Raj asked.

"Sure. I would like that a lot. I may need your help in the future though," she said while taking her hand up to his arm and squeezing his bicep. "I just signed a contract for Amy's old apartment. I am going to be moving in there. I can move in as early as next weekend. I was sort of hoping to be in there early enough I could decorate a little for Christmas" Alex said. She was excited about moving out of her parents' home and into her own place.

"I can help you move. Do you want me to get the other guys to help?" Raj asked.

"No, I think you and I can accomplish it between the two of us. I mainly just have clothing items, toiletries and some books to move. There isn't furniture or anything like that. Oh, and I have my laptop and a printer, but that is all" Alex listed.

"No kitchen items?"

"No, Amy didn't need what was there since this home came fully loaded, so she left all of those things behind."

"Cool, then yes, I can help you move. Maybe when we get you settled in, we can go get you a tree and decorations… and decorate your place" Raj offered, just finding any excuse to spend more time with her.

"I would love that" Alex beamed. She too was glad to know she could spend more time with him.

Amy's cell phone rang and she picked it up without looking at who was calling. "Dr. Fowler" she greeted.

"Amy, it's your mother" Jane Fowler was on the other line.

Amy let out a big sigh and held her head. She really did not want to be dealing with any of that kind of drama today.

"Mother, now is not a very good time. I have a house full of guests right now, can I call you later?" hoping she would take the bait.

"No, I need to talk to you now. It's important" Jane persisted.

Rolling her eyes, she looked over at Sheldon who had a questioning expression on his face as if asking "who is it?" She mouthed to him MOTHER and then I MEAN JANE. Sheldon tensed up, knowing this was not going to be good. He signaled to meet him upstairs and excused himself.

"You guys enjoy the snacks and visiting. I have to take this call and it may be a while. It's my mother" she gave them a knowing look. They all nodded understanding, letting Amy slip out and head upstairs to take the call.

"Mother, give me a minute. I need to get to a quieter and more private place." Amy put the phone on mute while she tread up the steps to the second floor. Sheldon was already in there pacing.

Pressing a button on her phone to both unmute and place on speaker phone, while closing the door behind her, Amy proceeded with her call "OK mother, what is it?"

"Amy, your father and I would like you and Sheldon to come meet with us. There are some things we wish to discuss and I also would like to get from you a wedding update and to see who you have on your guest list" Jane said in a rather matter-of-fact, yet firm fashion.

Looking over at Sheldon and shrugging her shoulders, Amy mouthed "WHAT SHOULD I SAY?"

Sheldon whispered into her ear "Tell them we will meet, but make it a weeknight so we don't have to stay long. I don't want to go on a weekend and be stuck there all day."

"All right mother, we can meet. How about Tuesday evening? Would that work?" Amy wanted the call to quickly end.

"Your father has a late surgery that day…how about next Saturday?" Jane asked.

"No, we have plans and a lot of shopping to continue to do, so that will not work. Weekends are all booked up right now" Amy tried to sound as forceful as she could in her response.

"All right, well how about Wednesday evening? I believe your father is off early this Wednesday" Jane finally compromised.

"Okay, how about if we are there at 6:30 PM on Wednesday? We will have already eaten," Amy said, not wishing to share a meal with the Fowler family right now.

"Are you sure you can't join us for dinner?" Jane pleaded.

Amy looked over at Sheldon and shrugged, "WHAT DO YOU THINK?" She mouthed as she had his attention.

He shook his head. He really did not want to be "breaking bread" with them right now; not after the years of lying they did.

"Mother, we have very busy schedules and we will catch a bite to eat at the Cal Tech cafeteria before heading over there. We will not be able to stay long. Both of us have a lot going on at work as well as with the wedding" Amy put herself back in control.

"Well, all right. We will see you Wednesday at 6:30 then. I would love to see anything you can show me of what you have planned" Jane resolved. She had never backed down with Amy before, but she felt guilty about what she was going to have to discuss with her and just couldn't bring herself to exercise her authority as she had done Amy's whole life.

"Fine. We will see you then. Goodbye" Amy cut the call short.

"Goodbye dear, I love you" Jane said, sounding rather pathetic. Amy disconnected the call.

"Sheldon, we really need to get a game plan together. I am shaking just from a stupid phone call and I am going to be a basket case when we have to open up this whole family situation" Amy looked at him for answers.

"We will plan it all out. Now come here and let's just cuddle on the bed for a few minutes. He pulled her over to the bed and then wrapped his arms around her and let her ease her tension in his arms.

"If you don't want to go, Amy, I will understand, but we really do need to open up this Pandora's box. I think until we speak to your father and hear him out, we are judging without all the facts" Sheldon reasoned. "I am not saying anything will excuse all the lying, but it might help you come to terms to deal with it better" Sheldon explained.

Amy nodded and just drew in closer in his arms. She loved the safety and contentment he always gave her. She leaned up and kissed his jaw. He looked down and leaned in to kiss her. Soon, their kiss turned into a more passionate kiss. Their minds had completely forgotten about the guests downstairs.

Penny came upstairs and lightly knocked on the door…with no response the first time she knocked a second time. Sheldon and Amy were so hot and heavy that they did not hear her knock. She opened the door and saw them…hands were moving toward more intimate locations on each other and definitely it was something she wasn't expecting. "Holy crap on a Cracker!" she exclaimed.

Hearing her voice they snapped up and moved away from each other and looked embarrassed.

"I would tell you two to get a room, but it seems you already found one" Penny said sarcastically. "I came up here to see if you were okay because you looked rather ill when your mother called, but it seems you got over that pretty quickly." Penny refused to let them get by…she was determined to understand exactly what was going on with the two of them.

Sheldon got off of the bed and straightened himself out. He went into the bathroom and wet down his "sex hair" and came back out and glared "it is polite to knock before entering someone's bedroom, but I guess your Nebraska manners just can't help but come out."

"I did knock, twice in fact. But you didn't answer. I wanted to make sure Amy was okay because…well you know…about her mom and all. But I certainly was not expecting to see you two going at it like bunnies" Penny glared right back.

"Amy, I will join the others. You feeling okay?" Sheldon wanted to make sure Amy would be okay.

She nodded and said "I'll be down in a minute. I need to talk to my Bestie for a couple of seconds alone."

Sheldon eyed Penny and then looked back at Amy, "Don't let her bully you. I know what she is capable of and I won't allow it in our house."

Amy giggled and said "I will be fine. My Bestie isn't going to bully me. We are just going to have girl talk. Go join the others."

Sheldon lingered, watching Amy then turned and closed the door behind him. She could hear him running down the stairs.

Penny waited until the door was shut and she heard Sheldon's footsteps further down the stairs, not wanting his Vulcan hearing to catch what she was about to say "Amy Farrah Fowler, you and Sheldon are having sex" Penny blurted in accusatory fashion.

Amy blushed and tried to avert her eyes from Penny. She really hated lying to anyone, but especially to Sheldon or to Penny. They meant the world to her so lying to them came very difficult. "Penny, as we have told you many times before, we have made the decision to wait until we are legally married" Amy countered.

"That is the part I am still trying to figure out, but believe me I will. I know when two people have been having sex and you and Sheldon have been having sex. You can't talk me out of it" Penny was hurt that Amy would not confide in her.

"Penny, you know I tell you everything. Why would I hide it if we were? Your argument makes no sense to me." Amy tried to reason.

"Amy, you have the afterglow of sex. I know it. I have known you and Sheldon a long time. I can see it on BOTH of you. Now spill girl, tell me about it. Was it good? "Penny refused to accept Amy's reasoning.

"I wouldn't be able to answer that, given I am going to have to wait for a couple of months to be able to assess and respond" Amy continued her charade.

"Hmmph! Just know I am keeping my eye on you two and you can try and hide it, but I am convinced and nothing is going to change my mind" Penny pointed her finger at Amy, giving her a warning.

"Bestie, you know I love you and you have been there through good times and bad with Sheldon and me. I know he cares about you too. I know it is hard for you to believe this, but some couples do agree to wait and remain virgins until the night of their nuptials." Amy didn't feel as bad now because so far all of that was true. She and Sheldon did wait.

"Ames, I just want you and Sheldon to be happy and to enjoy all that life can give. You guys are clearly committed to each other and there is nothing wrong to having sex before marriage. I don't want you to feel you can't come to me and tell me if you have and if you have questions" Penny tried to coax.

"I know that Bestie. You are the best Bestie in the world, but I don't have any questions right now. Maybe when the wedding is closer, but Sheldon and I are just fine" was all she would reveal.

The girls hugged. Penny still felt something was different with the couple and would continue to dig and watch, but she would let it go for now. She definitely knew that Amy, and Sheldon for that matter, seemed happier than they have ever been and she didn't want to be the cause of anything that might change that.

"So you're really ready to get married?" She asked as she pulled away from Amy.

"Yes, I can't wait. I am glad we have Christmas right now, because that will keep me busy doing other things, but January is going to be a tough month. It will seem long because I want the wedding to come" Amy said. She really was being honest. She could not wait for the wedding to come because this lying and hiding the fact they were already married was getting harder and harder on her and it had only been the day before that she got married.

"I can't imagine being married. I love Leonard, but it still scares me to think about it" Penny confided. "I think, for me anyway, I would rather we lived together first. Just see how that went, you know?"

"So, are you thinking of moving in with him? Now that Sheldon has moved out?" Amy asked.

"AMY? The boys and I are going to pick up the next load" Sheldon yelled from the first floor.

Amy opened the door and yelled back down, "Okay, hurry back." She turned to Penny, "we had better get back down so that Bernadette and Alex don't think we are shunning them."

"Yeah, I don't want them to feel bad either, but this conversation is far from over. Just remember, I have my eye on you two" Penny gave her last warning for the day.

They rejoined the other two girls, when Alex said "Raj asked me out for tonight and, Bernadette, if you would not mind taking me back to my car at my new apartment, it will give me time to get ready."

"Sure, I can take you" Bernie smiled, excited that Raj finally had a girl willing to go out with him. She felt he deserved someone nice and intelligent. Alex was both of those as well as beautiful.

"You are coming back here, after though, right?" Amy asked. "I am sure the boys are going to want to play games for a couple of hours after they return with the final load of boxes."

"Yeah, I certainly don't want to have to go back home and sit around with Howie's Mom while he is here playing games. I would rather be here enjoying your beautiful home, nice wine, and my home girls."

"Oh, one more thing, I still have the mailbox key, could you check to see if the invitations arrived? I really want to see them." Turning to Alex she then asked, "Do you mind checking the box daily until you move in next weekend and bringing it in to Sheldon? Or would you rather I swing by and check it and get the key to you by Saturday?"

"I don't mind picking it up. That way I can move some things over so that Raj and I don't have as much to have to move on Saturday" Alex offered.

"Great. That would help me out a lot." Amy went to get her keys and took the mailbox key and apartment key off her ring and handed them to Alex. "Here you go, they are all yours now" Amy felt like the final chapter of her apartment life was now closed.

The two women left, leaving Penny and Amy alone for a while.

"So, Penny, are you thinking of moving in with Leonard now that Sheldon has moved out?" Amy pushed again.

"I just don't know, Ames. Part of me wants to do it really bad, but then I get scared and know that at least right now, when I want, I can retreat back to my own place, you know? Plus the rent, while slightly less because two of us would be paying it…well I have never been real good at making a lot of money and handling what I do make well." Penny showed definite turmoil.

"Has Leonard been pushing you to move in with him?" Amy asked.

"No, he mentioned it once quickly, but not since. But then again, we haven't had a lot of time to think about anything since Sheldon moved out so quickly. What's with that anyway?" Penny asked eying Amy closely again.

"What do you mean? We were given the opportunity to live here and we felt this way we could save some salary to help pay for wedding expenses and honeymoon" Amy covered.

"I mean, I get that, but he is paid up through December, so he didn't have to move _that _fast" Penny pushed.

"Look at this place. Wouldn't you want to move in right away if given the chance?" Amy said looking around admiring the home.

"When you put it that way, I guess. I have to admit, it would be hard to not want to live here" Penny agreed looking around and enjoying the beautiful home. "I think you guys have the nicest home out of anyone I have ever known" she sighed.

"Do you want a house someday?" Amy asked.

"Maybe. I always thought of myself as one of those actresses that had apartments in all the major cities around the world, you know? One in Manhattan, one in Beverly Hills, one in Paris, London, Tokyo, just all over and that I would jet-set from one location to the other depending on where I was filming next" Penny dreamed.

Amy giggled. "Somehow I have a hard time thinking of you actually enjoying that. You seem like you like your friends too much and that would be kind of lonesome if you asked me."

"Really? I guess you are right. I obviously am not going to reach that goal anyway. I am not that good of an actress. I mean, look, I still have only had a couple of gigs since I moved here" Penny didn't look too happy.

"Maybe you just haven't truly been discovered yet" Amy tried encouraging.

"Maybe."

Bernadette had returned and opened the door yelling "I'm back, is it okay if I just come in?"

"Sure, come on back to the kitchen. Penny and I are just enjoying our wine" Amy yelled back.

"Ooo, poor me a glass, please" Bernie requested as she wove her way back toward the kitchen. Upon reaching the kitchen, "Amy, your invitations arrived" she informed as she held out a box to Amy.

"I can't wait to see them," Amy said as she took the box and began to open the packaging. She pulled out one of the cards and looked at it, admiring the texture, color, and font. Pleased with the result she held it out to the other girls "What do you think?"

"I think they turned out nice, I mean since that is what you and Sheldon wanted" Bernadette replied.

"Yeah, what she said" Penny pointed to Bernie as she slurred her words. She was getting a bit tipsy because she had had several glasses of wine earlier that were finally showing affect.

"Well, I think I know what we girls will be doing while the boys are playing their games" Amy suggested as she looked over the invitation in her hand again.

"How many do you have to send out?" Penny asked.

"We planned that our total guest count would be 50 and no more. Sheldon and I put a limit on that many guests, so that makes the invitation list around 25-30 to address" Amy replied. "Let me go get my list."

"That shouldn't take us too long" Bernadette gave her support to the task.

"Yeah, it could be way worse. My cousin had 1500 people at her wedding. It was horrible" Penny lamented.

Amy came back with the list. The girls sat down to the table and began to go through the list and addressed envelopes and return reception RSVP envelopes.

The boys returned just about the same time the girls finished the last three invitations, each with one to address.

"We're back" Sheldon yelled.

"We're in the kitchen finishing up the invitations" Amy yelled back to him. "Come in the kitchen, I want you to see one."

Sheldon came back and she showed him one of the invitations. She was lucky that they had sent about 5 extras. She knew one would go in a scrap book. "What do you think?"

"I like them. They came out nice" he said as he carefully studied them to make sure there were no typographical errors. "They even got all of the print correct." He leaned down and pecked her on the lips and said "We should be done unloading in no time then we will be downstairs. They want to play Super Mario."

"We will be down in a while. Where's Rajesh?"

"Hopefully behind some boxes, bringing them in" Sheldon smirked.

"When he is done, could you have him come see me? I want to ask him about a couple of things" Amy inquired.

"Sure. Well I had best be unloading the car" Sheldon said and took his exit.

Penny and Bernie went on outside to admire the yard and enjoy the last of the sun for the day. Sipping their wine, they both agreed that it was quite the life.

"Sheldon said you wanted to see me?" Raj said as he entered the kitchen before Amy was able to get out the door to the back yard. She closed the door and stepped back into the kitchen.

"Yes, I wanted to know if you think we can afford to have engagement pictures made up or is our budget already accounted for?" Amy asked.

"I think it would be tight. I have left room for any last minute contingencies, but if you have photos done, those can be pricey. Well…unless you want one of us to take them for you" Raj offered.

"Let me think about it more. I just would like some nice photos of Sheldon and I together that I can put up on Facebook" Amy considered. "You know what? I think we will skip them. I would rather not mess with the budget."

"Okay, I agree. You never know what may come up and it is always good to have extra on hand in case." Raj said. "Is Alex out back?"

"No, she left. She wanted to get ready for her date with you tonight."

"Seriously? Did she seem excited?" Raj pried.

"Yes, actually. I think she is very excited about the prospect of enjoying your company" Amy said. "Raj, you have been helping me a lot with the wedding and I can't thank you enough for that. But I want to do something in return. Would you let me see if I can help isolate and possibly cure your selective mutism?"

"You mean turn me into one of your lab monkeys? No, no thanks." Raj's eyes opened wide and fear was the mask he wore.

"I promise it won't hurt in any way or you won't have any changes in you other than you will be allowed to speak to women without having to resort to alcohol to do so" Amy vowed. "Sheldon has often wanted to help you as well, but he doesn't have the training I have for trying to give you a real solution." Giving him a few minutes to think, she finally added "I am good at what I do."

Sheldon walked in at that exact moment and put his arm around her waist and said "She is the best! She really is top of her field, you should listen to her."

Rajesh considered this and finally said "if you think it would let me talk to Alex like a normal person, yes, I will consider it."

"Good, then can you meet me at my lab sometime Monday?" Amy asked.

"How about if I bring him by at lunch and we join you?" Sheldon offered. He wanted to make sure he was included in this venture. He didn't like the idea of Amy alone with Raj. He knew what a vixen she was.

"That works for me, how about you, Raj?"

"Yeah, I think I can do that."

"Okay, well, you men can finish up and enjoy your game" Amy said. "We will be down in a little while. We are trying to enjoy what is left of the sun." She pecked Sheldon on the cheek and then head to the door and went out to join the girls.

The men finished bringing in boxes and played games for a couple of hours before Raj had to leave for his date with Alex. Everyone else left around the same time, leaving a house full of boxes, dirty wine glasses and a tired Amy and Sheldon.


	26. Chapter 26: The Fowler Plea

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: Thank you guest for all your comments. I am not sure how to reach you, but I appreciate you reading the story and leaving reviews. I am glad you are enjoying it.  
_

Sheldon and Amy woke up on Sunday morning and after a little morning love making, got up and began the tedious task of unpacking everything. It took most of the day for them to unpack and put everything in place. Once they completed the task, tired and spent, Sheldon offered that they go out for dinner that evening. Amy more than welcomed the opportunity to eat, and then come back home and cuddle up with him.

The duo had dinner at the Cheesecake Factory and then came home. Sheldon went upstairs to start a fire in the fireplace in their bedroom, while Amy made hot cocoa for the two of them. Taking the cups upstairs with a plate full of cookies, the two of them changed into night clothing and sat in front of the fire, just enjoying the peace and quiet.

"Sheldon, Penny is suspicious. I think we are going to have to be very careful or she will learn about our project" Amy finally broke the silence.

"I had a feeling she might have been trying to railroad you about us. Whatever you do, don't cave in because it will be all over the place. She might even call my Mom and that would ruin everything" Sheldon pleaded.

"No worries, I don't intend on telling her a thing. I personally find it a bit titillating that we are living undercover lives so to speak" Amy grinned widely. She was working hard at avoiding anything like the "secret" word because she knew how hard it was for Sheldon to keep secrets.

"I am not worried about her. We have been good covering our tracks and we will continue to do so. I am more concerned about our meeting on Wednesday night" Sheldon confided.

"Me too. I really hate confrontations, but this one is even worse" Amy considered all the lies. Suddenly, she looked at Sheldon wide-eyed. "Sheldon, I have been thinking…my father told me lies, but are we not doing the same with our marriage? I mean we are lying to our friends right now. Doesn't that make me just as bad as my father?"

"Well the difference is we are doing it to bring everyone joy. They want to share in our celebration and we had some logistical reasons why we eloped and then will have the wedding as planned. No one should be hurt because no one should find out. We can keep planning the wedding and go through with everything without them ever learning we already have a legal wedding certificate. But with your father, he is keeping you from a whole part of your family that you should know about, as well as your roots. It affects you and hurts you" Sheldon rationalized.

"I suppose. I just am not very good at lying to people" Amy admitted.

"I am glad to hear that. I am not either, but in this case, I would not look at it as lying, but as just be ahead in truth. Everything we have done is truthful and honest. We did not make love until we were married. We have not lived together until we were married. We have been honest and truthful about that, it is just they won't know that" Sheldon tried to justify.

"Okay, well we need to be extra careful. Penny is going to dig and dig" Amy still was concerned.

"I know. She really is a nosy-rosy. Keep her busy and she won't have time to dig" Sheldon offered a solution.

"Oh I know…I will make her in charge of my wedding shower and the bachelorette party" Amy's eyes lit up.

"Uh-hem…a bachelorette party? You aren't a bachelorette, Dr. Fowler-Cooper!" Sheldon felt uneasy with the idea, especially if Penny was in charge of the event.

"You know the guys are going to want to throw you a bachelor party" Amy negotiated. "So if that is the case, I should be entitled to the same for me."

"I have already asked them to not throw me one" Sheldon had his bases covered. Well, maybe he hadn't asked them yet, but he would make sure so to do, to avoid any possible case she could make.

"That won't stop them. I bet they will do it as a surprise, and then you won't be able to argue." Amy continued to build her case. "I will make sure Penny keeps it tame. Probably just going to Vegas, see a show, go drinking and dancing kind of thing" Amy tried to reassure, but that only succeeded to bring Sheldon's anxiety level higher.

"I do not want you dancing with other men. You are my wife and married women don't dance with anyone but their husbands" Sheldon fumed.

"Plaything, if it is going to bother you I will tell her to make sure that I don't have a bachelorette party, not even a surprise one because it could result in you calling off our wedding…how's that?" Amy realized she wasn't going to win the battle and honestly didn't want a party. "Can we move on to another topic since we now have the solution to that one?"

"Better, yes, just make sure to hold true to your word, woman. I don't want Penny taking advantage of your innocence and your idol worship of her" Sheldon was still not convinced.

"Deal. I promise I will refuse to be a part of it if she tries to surprise me."

Sheldon pulled Amy to him and said "It scares me to think of anyone holding you, rubbing up against you or flirting with you. I love you so much and I don't want to lose you."

"You are not going to lose me. You are stuck with me forever. Remember our vows? For better or for worse, richer or poorer,' til death do us part?"

"Of course, I do. I have an eidetic memory and that was only two days ago."

"Well, you know…we have a nice raging fire in the fireplace, but I have a raging fire inside of me. I want my husband and I want him now" Amy wiggled her eyebrows up and down, giving him the grin that was only for him.

"Oh, really? Well your husband just happens to think that his wife should be kept happy at all times" Sheldon teased back, pulling Amy into a passionate kiss. He got up, moved the coffee table over and decided that he would take her right there in front of the fireplace. He grabbed the blanket off the back of the loveseat and then pulled her down onto the soft fluffy area rug that was in front of the loveseat and fireplace.

Amy responded to Sheldon's advances, thrilled at the idea of making love on the floor like they were. Their passion ignited and was definitely hotter than what was crackling and sparkling in front of them. Sheldon managed to strip and had Amy stripped down as well. He was tender, loving, and passionate all in one. They were just about to get more intimate when the phone rang. Both pulled away slightly and looked at each other.

"Ignore it" Sheldon said, wanting to continue.

"But what if it is important?" Amy asked. Something inside of her told her to answer the phone.

"Sheldon, wait here…we will continue this, but I need to make sure it isn't an emergency" Amy pleaded. She moved over to where her phone was lying on the nightstand.

"Dr. Fowler" Amy answered.

"Amy, its Leonard" he sounded completely distressed.

"Leonard? You don't sound very good, what is it?" Amy was concerned. Sheldon heard his name and snapped his head her direction, his Vulcan hearing waiting to see what was going on.

"It's Penny. She went to run an errand and had had more wine after she left your house and well, she has been in an accident."

"What? Is she going to be okay?" Amy asked.

"No, not really. She is pretty banged, up. She has some crushed ribs and a collapsed lung. They have her on heavy medications and…"

"Where is she? What hospital?" Amy asked. Sheldon by now had gotten up and slipped on his briefs and trousers and walked over to where Amy was standing, handing her a robe to keep her warm. As she was slipping on the robe she continued her conversation with Leonard.

"We are at Memorial" Leonard said.

"Are you in the ER or what floor?"

"Come to the 5th Floor, Room 518."

"We will be right there" Amy assured. "Tell Penny we are on our way."

Disconnecting the call, she began to fly around, dressing as fast as she could while explaining to Sheldon what happened. Within minutes they were on the road to Memorial.

Arriving at Room 518, Amy immediately rushed to Penny's side, while Sheldon tried to comfort Leonard who happened to be a wreck. Sheldon spoke with Leonard to try and learn exactly what happened.

"Penny, it's Amy" Amy said as she tried stroking Penny's hair. Penny was very drugged up, but managed to turn and look at Amy and give her a weak smile. She was connected to oxygen, a cannula giving her air through her nose.

"Hi Ames."

"How are you doing?" Amy asked, feeling stupid because obviously she wasn't doing that great.

"I've been better. Is Leonard still here?" Penny asked trying raise up but crashing back down on her pillow.

"Don't move, it will only cause you some pain right now. Let me go get him" Amy said.

The boys had ducked just outside the door so Amy opened the door and said "Leonard, Penny is asking for you. I think she just needs the comfort of knowing you are here."

Leonard immediately went past Amy and ran to Penny's side "I'm here" Leonard said. "I'm not going anywhere."

"Leonard?" Penny asked weakly.

"Yes, it's me…is there something I can get you? Leonard said trying to be brave and fighting off tears welling in his eyes.

"What happened, Leonard?"

"You were in an accident, do you remember?"

"No. How did it happen? Did anyone else get hurt?"

"Remarkably, no. You managed to maneuver your car to avoid hurting others, but you ended up pretty mangled" Leonard explained.

"Leonard, can you stay with me?" Penny asked.

"Sure, baby, I will be here. Sheldon will go get me what I need and bring it here" Leonard said, holding her hand and not leaving her side.

Sheldon was comforting Amy outside the room. His Vulcan hearing could tell that Penny had dropped back to sleep by the lack of conversation. "I think we can go back in there now" Sheldon whispered to Amy. She nodded and the two of them went back in the room.

"So tell me, Leonard, what did the doctors say?" Amy asked, looking over at Penny.

"Well she has broken ribs, collapsed lungs which is why they have given her oxygen and they have put a special chest tube in her that they can use to inflate her lung. It will be removed once the lung is stable and can keep inflated. She also has a minor concussion and a fracture in her left ankle."

"How long do they want to keep her here?"

"They said at least three days, but then I told them she would be coming back to my apartment. I want to take care of her after she gets out of here" Leonard said. "I already put in a request for a short leave of absence until she is recovered enough to move enough to care for herself."

"Is there anything we can do for you in the meantime? Amy asked.

"Yes, Sheldon, can you go by the apartment and pick up some of my things and bring them back here? I spoke with the hospital staff and they said I could have a roller bed in here at night so that she won't be alone."

"Consider it done." Sheldon said. "Would you like me to bring you anything to read or do while you are here?"

"Um…yeah, bring me the two books that are sitting on my desk and maybe 5 or 6 comic books. Also, if you wouldn't mind, bring me a couple of DVD's so I can watch some movies while here."

"OK, well we will go get those things now and bring them back to you. If Penny wakes up…tell her that Amy and I were here to see her… and we will come by again tomorrow. We will drop off your things and then head back home after so you both can get your rest."

"She's a trooper, Leonard and she will get will and recover" Amy tried to reassure Leonard.

"I know, she is strong, but what she doesn't know is that she is going to lose her license. This was a DUI charge at the least. Since no one else was hurt, at least we don't have that to worry about. She literally missed the other vehicle."

"Well maybe this is a good thing. It will bring you two closer and she can finally let down some of those walls she has built" Amy said optimistically.

"We'd better get those things and get back here and drop them off. It is getting pretty late" Sheldon said, getting impatient. For all the changes in him, he still hated hospitals.

"Okay, we will be back soon" Amy said to Leonard.

They left and went straight to 2311 Los Robles and picked up some of Leonard's things. "I wonder if we should bring Penny some of her things as well?" Amy suggested. "It might make her feel better."

"Good idea. I think Leonard keeps her spare key in the bowl. Let me find an overnight bag from his room and stick these things in it, and I will gather up the DVDs and books as well. You go look and see if you can find anything you think will comfort her."

Amy opened the door to Penny's apartment which was needless to say, a total mess. Sheldon would definitely have had difficulty if he had been the one to bring her some things. He would want to stay and clean up her apartment. Amy searched and found several things, including new underwear, her robe and some of her sleepwear. She brought her slippers as well, and a few of her stuffed animals. She also looked through Penny's movies and selected a few that she thought Penny would like, and Leonard would at least tolerate. She also gathered a couple of fashion magazines for Penny to look through.

Having bags packed for both, Sheldon and Amy locked up both apartments and head back to the hospital to drop off the bags. Once they finished leaving the bags with Leonard and checking in on Penny's status which was unchanged, they left back for their home. They had promised they would stop by the next evening after work. They drove home and locked up the house, heading upstairs and immediately changed into night clothing and went to bed. Both were emotionally drained, not expecting to see Penny in such poor condition.

The next couple of days, Penny made improvement and started to get more of her sunshiny personality back. Her lung had managed to inflate and she was able to breathe on her own. But her ribs continued to be extremely painful as well as her ankle. Amy and Sheldon visited as they said they would, after they got off work, and even shared horrible hospital food one night to make it seem like back at the apartment when the gang would eat together. Penny was to remain another couple of days because they wanted to extend it to keep monitoring her progress.

Wednesday came before they knew it. Sheldon and Amy had to meet with her parents and neither were looking forward to the meeting. Amy kept reminding herself that she and Sheldon had made a decision to keep their secret, so perhaps she should listen and see if there seemed an argument they could make that would help her understand. She knew, as an adult, that sometimes decisions are made that can be difficult. But part of her still could not get over her resentment of being lied to her entire life. She had a feeling they might know that her grandfather had been in touch and so they would be forced to bring up the subject.

"Sheldon?" Amy started. They were sharing dinner, as they had said they said they would, in the Cal Tech cafeteria before they were going to head to the Fowler mansion. "I don't know if I can do it. I can't even eat. My stomach is already churning" she said, picking at her food.

Sheldon was doing the same. He wasn't really eating, but just moving food around on the plate. "I know what you mean, but we have to get this over. We don't even know what their role will be relative to the wedding until we go through this" he reminded Amy.

"I know, but even if I can forgive them, I do not want father walking me down the aisle. I will go by myself" Amy was adamant.

"Fine. I understand and will stand with you. I want us united on everything" Sheldon said.

Amy smiled at him and said "I know. I feel the same way. I love you, by the way. I don't think I have had a chance to say that since this morning."

Sheldon looked around to make sure no one was in ear-shot and said "after we get back from our meeting, I say we finish what we started before we had the call from Leonard" he winked.

"Hoo….I like that idea. Something about getting passionate in front of a fire on that soft rug…Cuddles, it was amazing even if cut short that night" Amy smiled.

Looking at the clock on the wall, Sheldon realized they had to leave to get to the Fowler mansion on time.

"Well Dr. Fowler-Cooper, we had best be on our way. If things don't go as you wish, are you planning on keeping the hyphenation?" Sheldon asked.

"Actually, I am thinking of just changing it to Cooper and dropping the Fowler part" Amy said. "I just didn't know how you felt about it."

"I, of course, am biased and would love you to drop the Fowler, especially after they lied to you, but I will also be pleased if you keep it the way it is. I guess we will know more about your feelings on the matter after our meeting tonight."

"Yes, but I will always be a Cooper for now on" she said, beaming. Sheldon whipped his head around making sure no one overheard and let out a sigh of relief when he saw they were alone.

The Drs. Cooper drove up the long drive leading to the mansion and already came up with a game plan for a quick exit should it be required. Sheldon had set their phones to ring at a specific time, both about 5 minutes apart, so they could pretend they had to get back to see Penny if necessary.

After a few awkward greetings, Amy and Sheldon were escorted into the vast living room. Jane and Winston sat in two chairs that faced a couch, where Amy and Sheldon ended up sitting.

"I think that you know why we called you here. I understand that you have heard recently from Anderson & Kelly about a property deed" Winston started.

Sheldon and Amy acknowledged with a nod. They tensed up but said nothing further.

"I believe I owe you, Amy, and apology and an explanation" Winston started.

Jane was nervous and kept her eyes on Winston. She could not look at Amy for fear she might see anger and resentment in Amy's eyes.

"I believe that would be a good start. Amy deserves at least both" Sheldon spoke, calmly and precisely.

Winston gave out a large sigh and started his story.

"When I took a Fellowship in Scotland, I was working on a study to try and reduce progressive heart disease and not only try to reduce the progressive nature of it, but to reverse it. My colleagues and I were attempting to find a way to regenerate healthy cells to overtake the damaged cells so that the damaged cells could be removed, creating a healthy heart again."

"Interesting, and were you successful" Sheldon and Amy almost said simultaneously. For as personal of an issue as they were hoping to hear about, they could not help but be fascinated as scientists with the problem presented that Winston was studying.

"We made inroads, but by no means did we find a cure… or else it would be put in wide practice today. We definitely learned many things that have helped slow down the progression only. However, that isn't the point of why I told you about our studies. " He took a couple of moments to regroup.

"Jane" Winston nodded toward Jane "and I had been colleagues and lovers before I left for Scotland." Winston had hoped that Amy and Sheldon would give him some sort of acknowledgement, but after not receiving one for a couple of moments, he continued. "When I left for Scotland, or right before I left, my family and I had quite a falling out because of Jane. It seems they felt she was not the right woman for me and they feared she would hold me back from success. Thus the Fellowship had been arranged to help me get over her."

Amy and Sheldon looked at Jane, then to each other, then to Winston and nodded. Again, they would not speak at the moment. Both wanted to hear the story before making a comment. Jane just kept looking to the ground or out the window or at Winston. She avoided all eye contact with the couple.

Amy had seen hints of regret, pain, and fear in Jane's eyes. She could tell Jane showed signs of having cried a fair amount recently. Eyes were puffy, red-rimmed and bloodshot. She was well made up, but it was evident that even her make-up could not cover traces of her pain. It did stir some emotion in Amy; she even felt a little compassion toward her. Jane's eyes were still welled up as Winston spoke.

"I left Jane, with a broken heart on both ends of the relationship. She was the love of my life. While in Scotland, I was assigned to treat one of the experimental patients, a woman named Iona MacGregor. She was suffering from heart disease and while she was young, it had progressed fairly rapidly."

Sheldon heard a slight gasp come out of Amy and squeezed her hand tightly. It helped comfort Amy and she went back to her stoic demeanor, waiting for more of the story.

Wintson used a handkerchief on his eyes and forehead and looked out the window for a couple of moments before he continued. "Iona was lovely. She had black hair and emerald eyes and while she was very ill, she had a fire of life in her that was captivating. Iona and I started dating and had become intimate. It was through our intimacy that she became pregnant. Her family, being Scottish and very religious, were very adamant that no children could be born out of wedlock. We kept her pregnancy a secret and married quickly."

Amy, covered her hand over her mouth and looked up to the ceiling, fighting off tears that had welled into her eyes. Sheldon again squeezed her hand and inched even closer than he already was to her.

"During her pregnancy, Iona's health worsened. Jane had since followed me over to Scotland, not realizing I had married. She had arranged to work on the same project that my Fellowship team and I were assigned." Again, Winston looked out the window and began to wipe his eyes.

"I am a weak man, Amy. I loved Iona, but Jane was my truest love and I could not help but want to be with her. Iona had grown so ill, and with her pregnancy, there was no longer any intimacy between us and I began to turn to Jane. She tried to fight it, but her love for me was undeniable and we began to have an affair."

Sheldon cleared his throat and shuffled uncomfortably and looked at Amy, moving his arm around her and pulling her into him. Amy remained oddly calm, it almost frightened Sheldon.

"Iona learned of the affair. She was not happy about it, but at the same time she realized that she was not likely going to get better and that she needed a caretaker. She asked to meet Jane. Iona was a gracious woman and she saw in Jane what I loved so much about her. She realized that Jane was a good woman and that our situation, as unconventional as it was, was something she could live with. She needed help and so she asked me to see if Jane would be willing to become her full time caretaker at the house and quit the project."

Amy's hand flew up to her mouth. She tried to rationalize in her mind if she could ever allow another woman to be with Sheldon intimately if the roles had been reversed. She could not even fathom it.

"Jane agreed and became Iona's caregiver. She grew to love Iona and it became uncomfortable for Jane because of the guilt she felt. But Iona asked her not to leave. She knew that I would need someone after she passed on. She knew she was dying." Taking a couple of more moments to regroup he finally said "When Iona gave birth, she gave birth to our daughter and that daughter is you, Amy."

Amy blinked a number of times, and just stayed completely still. Sheldon looked over at her and realized she was not going to react. It was going to be up to him. "I believe, sir, we have already established that Amy was born to Iona. It seems the lawyers had informed her of such when she went to visit their offices after the initial contact from them."

Winston shook his head, and looked back over at Amy, concerned about her lack of movement and reaction. He finally continued "After you were born, Jane continued to live in the house and now she had a mission. She wanted to raise Iona's child as her own. She loved you from the moment she laid eyes upon you and felt you needed a mother. Jane and I married about nine months after Iona's demise and she adopted you shortly after. As fate would have it, you would be her only chance at raising a child because Jane is barren and could not conceive when we attempted to expand the family."

Amy didn't move. She just sat there. After what seemed like forever, which had really only been about 15 minutes, Sheldon said "I believe Amy needs time to process all that you have told us. We will take our leave now, but will be back in touch soon."

Winston understood. Jane did as well but for the first time spoke up, quietly and very methodically, yet passionate, "I am very sorry for our deception all of these years. I hope you understand that I let fear overcome rational thinking. I love Amy and always have and she is my daughter legally as well as in my heart. But I hope she can find grace to forgive us. I know we don't deserve it. Please, just know that you and she are very important to both Winston and me." She reached out and touched Sheldon's arm lightly as she spoke.

He nodded and said "I understand. I think she needs time and as I said you will hear from us once she has either more questions or has had time to process it all and can make sense of it to know what she wants to do next. Thank you for your honesty tonight."

With that, Sheldon helped Amy up off of the couch. She looked up at him, still blank, but followed his lead. He nodded and said "Good evening and thank you." After exiting the door, he helped Amy into the car.


	27. Chapter 27: A Passport Application

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The drive back to the house was quiet, except for about five minutes before they made it home. Both phones began to ring then Sheldon burst out laughing. He had forgotten to disable their "getaway" plan. His laughter brought Amy out of her trance.

"What's so funny?" She had been so out of it, she didn't even realize the phones went off.

"I was laughing because our "getaway" phone calls just came through. I had forgotten to disable them and I found it amusing that I was so mindless. My mind was totally engaged in the meeting that I just didn't think about them. I guess the noise somehow just triggered a release of tension I had been holding." Sheldon explained.

"Sheldon, thank you for being such a good husband" Amy said. "I don't think I could have made it through the meeting without you by my side and all I could think about is how my birth mother could have allowed the man she loved be carrying on with another woman like that. It is not a wonder she died. Part of me wonders if she didn't die of broken heart" Amy admitted.

"Amy Farrah Fowler-COOPER, I want you to know that you are and always will be the only, and I repeat…only woman for me. I will never love any other woman the way I love you, even if we have a daughter, it will be a different love I will have for her, but you will always be my first, truest and only romantic love and lover" Sheldon vowed.

"I have no problem you loving a daughter we might have as much as me, but a lover? That would kill me" Amy wanted to make it clear. "So what are your thoughts about what we learned?"

"It is overwhelming, to say the least. I guess part of me never expected it to be such a "civil" story. It was…I don't know…strange. I can understand what it is like to fall in love with someone and know they are the only person for you, but how your father could have loved Iona, slept and procreated with her, knowing he still loved Jane is where I am having difficulty" Sheldon admitted.

"I know. That is the part I am struggling with as well. But for some reason, I feel for Jane as well. I know it must have broken my mother's heart to know Jane was part of the equation in her husband's life, but Jane also had to endure knowing that the love her life was married to another woman and having a child with him. It could not have been an easy household when they were all under one roof" Amy pondered.

"I agree. I really can't wrap my brain around it all. It is too complex of a scenario, and that is coming from a man whose father had outside lovers as well and cheated on my mother" Sheldon was trying to relate. "I never understood his choices any more than I can your father's and Jane's. They remind me of Prince Charles and Camilla and how Diana was the Iona in that whole thing, only Camilla and Diana were never friendly. I think the friendly part is the oddest thing to me."

Sheldon and Amy pulled into the drive and unlocked their door, disabled the alarm and locked the front door behind them. They ran up the stairs, exhausted from the encounter. Both changed into bedclothes.

"Let's get our mind off of this whole meeting and think about other things. Did you get a chance to ask Leonard how Penny was doing?" Amy asked, hoping to divert the conversation elsewhere.

"Yes, he said she should be able to come home on Friday.

"I feel bad that we didn't stop over tonight" Amy admitted.

"Well, I am sure she understands. It is rather late and even if we drove over, they probably would not let us in because visiting hours are over in about five minutes" Sheldon said, looking at his watch.

"I know. Do you mind if I give her a call? I just want to explain why I haven't been by."

"Sure, I think I will go make us some cocoa." Sheldon offered.

"Sounds good. Love you!" Amy said as Sheldon started out the door.

"Love you too. Be right back."

Sheldon went down to make cocoa and started humming Christmas carols. He looked at the tree that was lit up from the automatic timers on it and admired the tree. _I wish I had something of Iona's to give Amy this Christmas_. After standing there for a few minutes and just enjoying the tree, he went into the kitchen and pulled out milk, cocoa, sugar and marshmallows to make the beverage.

Amy called Penny and chatted with her, explaining why she had not been by. Amy thought Penny sounded a lot better from when she had last seen her. She promised she would be by the next day and would come on Friday to help Leonard get her settled.

Sheldon's phone rang while he was downstairs. Amy went over and saw it was Alex. She wasn't sure what to do, but felt that since she was now his wife, he would not mind her answering his phone.

"Dr. Sheldon Cooper's phone, this is Amy."

"Oh…hi.. .Dr. Fowler. I am actually glad you answered. I didn't have your number, only Sheldon's so I was going to call and ask if I could talk to you" Alex started. "I was wondering if you would mind having lunch with me tomorrow. I know you met with Raj earlier this week about his selective mutism and I was sort of hoping to talk to you about it."

"Does he know that you wanted to speak with me?" Amy didn't want to discuss anything without Raj's approval.

"Yes, he said he didn't mind. In fact, I asked if he wanted to join us, but he said he had some meeting with the Chancellor at the same time I have a lunch break."

"Okay, what time and I guess we could meet there since you have a shorter break than I do."

"Thank you but how about if we meet at Kumquat Mae Café? How about 11:30?" Alex suggested.

"That works. See you then." Amy hung up after they said their goodbyes. She didn't feel quite right without checking with Raj. Using her phone, she text'd Raj and asked if he gave permission to Alex that she could speak with her about their experiment. Raj text'd back that he was fine with it and had suggested she call so she could feel better about it.

Sheldon walked in with the cocoa and he and Amy cuddled in front of the fire and enjoyed their cocoa. "Did you remember to bring in the mail at all today?" Sheldon asked.

"No, actually I didn't think about it. I haven't really been here at all until we came home tonight. I went straight from work to meet you for dinner at the Cal Tech cafeteria, and then to our meeting."

"Hmmm…I think I am going to go out and get it. Our certificate should be arriving soon and I want to make sure you are able to get it to the Passport office in time to get a passport for our honeymoon" Sheldon mentioned.

"Yes, that is a good idea. Sheldon, once we take care of that, perhaps we should put the certificate in your safe deposit box so that no one snoops around and finds it" Amy suggested.

"Good idea. I had two certified copies sent, one for leaving at the Passport office and one for us to have in case we need it for anything. That is the copy that must be filed immediately. I am going to go down and check. Be right back" Sheldon pecked her on the lips before heading down to check the mail.

Coming back in, he brought several envelopes as well as a box upstairs. "Well we seem to have a lot of mail. I wonder what this could be" Sheldon questioned as he inspected the box.

"Maybe a wedding gift? I don't think anyone could have received their invitations this early, but perhaps someone sent one after reading my Facebook page?" Amy suggested.

"Well it is addressed to me, and not both of us" Sheldon commented. Amy pulled the envelopes from his other hand and let him ponder the box contents while she began to look through the mail.

"Hey we actually have RSVP's back already. I guess I should have better faith in the USPS after all" Amy said while beginning to open them.

Sheldon in the meantime went over to the bed and began to open up the box. There was a letter attached to the outside of the box which he read first, before opening the box itself. It was from Tavish MacGregor. He had sent a surprise Christmas present for Amy, but didn't want her to know. In the letter Tavish explains that he felt that Amy would want something to connect her to her mother and that the contents of the box contained that gift. He sent it to Sheldon so that she didn't open it before Christmas. Sheldon smiled. "He must have been reading my mind" he muttered quietly.

"What? Did you say something?" Amy looked over to the bed to Sheldon.

"No, this actually is a Christmas present for you and you cannot shake it, open it, or try and peek before Christmas" Sheldon said, shaking his finger at her, fighting back a smirk.

"I have a present? Ooo…who from?"

"That is a secret that I must keep for now" Sheldon's eyes were sparkling as he teased her.

Amy assumed it must be something he ordered for her so didn't press it. "We have 10 RSVPs back already and all are Yes', and I we have what appears to be two Christmas cards." She opened both envelopes. "One is from Mee-Maw and the other is from your brother George and Sharlene. Is that his third wife or a girlfriend or what?"

"I believe she is his third wife, but he could have moved on to another woman by now for all I know" a disgusted Sheldon shook his head. Sheldon was lost in thought, wondering what was in the box that belonged to Amy's mother.

"Oh Sheldon, we got it! This is from the Courthouse" Amy said. She opened up the envelope carefully and pulled out the two copies and studied them. Suddenly she let out a squeal.

Sheldon looked over at her puzzled. "What has got you so excited?"

"Did you hear me? Where is that Vulcan hearing of yours? I said that we got the marriage certificates."

Sheldon came over and pulled them from Amy's hand and studied them. He took a finger and followed their signatures on them, a huge smile on his face as he did so. "I am glad we have these. Tomorrow, we should go over to the Passport office and file for your passport and I can run to the bank after and put this other one in my safe deposit box."

"I can't go there during lunch" Amy admitted. "I just made a lunch date while you were downstairs with Alex. She called on your phone. I hope you don't mind, I picked it up and saw it was her and answered. She said she was calling your phone to reach me because she didn't have my number. She wanted to have lunch to ask about Raj's study I am doing. I text'd Raj and he said he told her to call me so I agreed to meet her."

"Well the Passport Office may not be open on Friday. Do you think you can swing by there before heading into work? Maybe just work a little later to make up for the time?" Sheldon pleaded.

"I guess so."

"Hmmm…let me run downstairs and see if I can find an online application that you can fill out tonight and then it might make the process go faster" Sheldon suggested.

"I'll come down with you. Maybe we could watch a sitcom or something that will make me laugh before we head back upstairs" Amy said. She was very tired, but laughter sounded good right now.

"I would like your company so yes, let's go see what is on and if we can find the form."

They went downstairs, found the form, which Amy completed. Sheldon also had her stand so he could take a photo of her he could print two copies of on photo stock paper to take with the application. She was glad it was mainly a headshot given she had her night clothing on. She giggled at the thought that her Passport would have her in her nightgown.

They looked at what else might be needed and made sure to hunt up those documents to take with her. Following their business side of things, they watched a 30-minute comedy central routine that made them laugh and release a lot more of the earlier tension that had been held within. After, they went back upstairs and crawled in bed, both falling fast asleep within minutes.

The following morning, Sheldon and Amy woke up and after morning ablutions, Amy went straight to the US Passport Office and Sheldon went to the bank. Both managed to accomplish the tasks they had planned.

Sheldon had a productive morning. He met up with the boys and joined them for lunch in the Cal Tech Cafeteria.

Amy also had a very productive morning and learned that she had been given another grant for a new project on addiction studies. She also had been named Neurobiologist of the Year by a prestigious science journal and she had been given another cover article. Raj was due to come in the afternoon, but first, she had to meet up with Alex at a trendy new café in town that had a large vegan selection along with regular foods. She left UCLA to head to her luncheon.

Alex had arrived first and found a table for the two of them where she could still keep an eye on the door and see Amy when she entered. She was admiring the café and watching the door off and on before Amy arrived.

Amy eyed the café and found a parking spot as someone pulled out right before she arrived. _It is an amazing day. The only thing that could make it more amazing is to have another passionate encounter with Sheldon in front of the fireplace. _ Entering the café, Amy noticed Alex was seated at a table and immediately walked up.

"Good day, Alex" Amy greeted.

"Dr. Fowler, I am so glad you could join me. Please have a seat" Alex gestured toward a chair opposite of her. "This is a charming place. I hope the food is as good as the ambience."

"Me too. But at least they have vegan choices, so that is encouraging" Amy liked to eat healthy when she could since Sheldon wasn't the healthiest of eaters.

The two women placed their orders and exchanged the socially acceptable amount of pleasantries before Amy asked "So, I understand you wanted to meet to discuss Raj's progress in the study I am doing to try and help him overcome his selective mutism. But before we broach that subject, I have a question for you. I am not trying to pass judgment here, but want to understand something."

Alex fidgeted a bit because she was not expecting a question to come from Amy. "Of course, what is your question."

"It seems to me that not that long ago you had developed a bit of a crush on Dr. Hoftstader. I was just curious what changed your mind and now made you interested in Raj. I am not trying to be nosy, but I also am a bit protective of the men in Sheldon's posse. I am also quite protective of my Bestie. I want to make sure that you are not trying to win Leonard through amorous activity with Raj" Amy was honest and direct.

"Wow…I um…yes, you are correct. I had developed a crush on Dr. Hoftstader, but he seemed very committed to Penny. I saw how they were together and I realized that I had to get over him. I had always found Dr. Koothrappali attractive and he and I share the same field of interest. I started reading up on some of his accomplishments and realized that he was quite fascinating. All of the men in Dr. Cooper's "posse" as you call it, are very nice to me and friendly. I started asking each of them about Dr. Koothrappali's work and he and I exchanged emails. I was explaining my research and we realized that we had a lot in common. He is very bright. I admired him."

Amy nodded her acknowledgement but still wasn't sure when the transition occurred. "So am I to understand that you were looking for a potential mate that had status in his career?"

"No, not at all. I mean…I definitely am more attracted to brilliant minds than foolish ones. But I also want someone who would value me and see my worth as well. Dr. Koothrappali does that. He seems genuinely interested in my work, and my likes and dislikes. The more we exchanged emails, and then we started talking online each night and well, I just found that I was attracted to his personality as well as his nice looks."

"Rajesh is very gentle and sensitive. I just wanted to make sure you would not hurt him, especially while I am in the middle of trying to cure him from a major hindrance to his social life."

"Understood. What I wanted to know is what you are really trying to accomplish and what side effects or impact that might make. What I don't want to do is invest into at relationship with him only to find that once he might be cured of his selective mutism, he would dump me because he could now have freedom to go search for anyone he wanted. I know you can't give me that assurance, but I guess I needed to know if it could change him….you know…from being the nice sweet guy he is to being a player or something" Alex asked.

"Right now, I am still working on isolating behaviors and patterns. I am collecting data at this stage. I really won't have a plan of action until I have all the facts gathered. However, I will say that it is not my intent at all to perform any sort of solution plan on Raj that might change his character. I don't think it is his natural character to be a player. In the few years I have known him, he has been very lonely, of course because of his mutism, but he also has been willing to be quite faithful and true to his friends and to anyone that has paid attention to him. I believe any women that have shown him interest left him versus the other way around" Amy encouraged.

"So are you planning on potentially some sort of medication approach or are you thinking some other mode to resolution?" Alex was still unclear what the method was to solve Raj's problem.

"Medication could be indicated, but it could be that I could isolate a trigger inside of his brain as well. For example, I am not sure you are aware of this, but for patients with tremors, you can, while the patient is under an MRI, use ultrasound waves that can potentially reduce or cure them of the tremors. Not all cases, of course, but in many cases. I would be looking for similar opportunities in Raj. Is there some indicator in his brain that could be treated in a non-invasive way, or perhaps even a minor invasive procedure that would give him a permanent cure where he would not be required to take any substance of any sort …including prescribed medications." Amy elaborated.

"How likely is it that it could be treated like that?" Alex pushed…partially out of fascination because she was learning something new and her scientific mind was intrigued, and the other part because she wanted to see Raj cured. "Is it something that could cause him permanent damage of something else?"

"As I said, I am still gathering data so I can't answer on the likelihood yet. I have a theory, but I don't want to lock into that as the only possible theory for cure. I am open to what the data indicates and possibly reveals. You also asked about permanent damage. It is not likely, especially if non-invasive. But with any medical procedure there are always risks because other health aspects always come into play. I won't lie, everything you do to the human body can be a risk" Amy said candidly.

"Fair enough. I agree there are many aspects that can come into play and often even with the best of care, a patient may respond adversely to something because no one knew of an allergy to something if it was their first encounter with it. But you think that it is likely you can cure him?" Alex asked.

"I think I have a better chance than any of the other methods he has tried and I think selective disorders are often not all that different than addictions when it comes to how the brain operates. That has been my specialty and I have also had experience with disorders such as autism as well. So yes, I would say there is a fairly decent chance that I could find a cure for him." Amy wasn't really bragging, but she was being honest. She knew her strengths and capabilities.

The waitress arrived with their meals. Once she left, Alex said "Thank you for your honesty, Dr. Fowler. I feel that you have helped me make a decision."

"May I ask what you have decided?" Amy asked in between bites of her vegan sandwich.

"I have decided that I am going to risk it. I think Raj is worth it. He has shown me a side of him that is beyond science and I like it. He is respectful and treats me as if I am special. I haven't had anyone do that, other than my family, in a long time. So, I am going to trust that we will be able to build on what we have started and who knows…it may lead to something wonderful" Alex said.

Amy studied her for a couple of moments and said "You care for him, don't you?"

Alex blushed and replied "Yes. I have to admit, as funny as I found Leonard, I think Raj has a fuller package overall. He is funny, charming, quite fashion savvy, a great cook, considerate, smart, witty…"

"I get the picture. Yes, I would say you are well on your way to really falling for him" Amy smirked.

Alex pushed her food around and then got up the nerve to ask "Has he….has he ever asked or talked about me to you?"

"Yes, he is quite smitten. He was even when you were crushing on Leonard. He used to fight Leonard for you "Amy giggled.

Alex giggled and replied "Oh. I had no idea, but I kind of like that." She blushed. "So, changing topics, how are things going…you know…with you and Dr. Cooper living under the same roof and well…"

"If you are asking if he has "sinned" as his mother would put it, then the answer is no. We have been planning the wedding, but Penny was in an accident and that took some of our time going to visit her daily at the hospital, as well as I have had family issues to deal with, work, and trying to help Raj. So that has not left much time for looking at ways to tempt Sheldon into hanky-panky, not that I would. We both made a commitment to wait until we had exchanged vows." Amy very carefully crafted her wording to not lie.

"I believe Dr. Cooper is lucky to have you in his life. I know his work has been far more focused since you two got engaged, and especially since you came back from Texas. He has been so productive. I really do believe he will win that Nobel Prize."

"I believe he will as well, but it is nice to hear he has been very productive. Speaking of productive, I have some things to celebrate today. I got a cover article again, a grant for a new addiction study, and I was named Neurobiologist of the Year by a reputable journal in my field" Amy boast.

"Congratulations. Dr. Cooper must be very proud." Alex raised her glass and toasted her.

"Make sure to not mention it yet. I just found out about all of those this morning and have not had a chance to update him. I plan to tell him this evening when we get home. I am planning a nice dinner and some Christmas shopping later, but I wanted to tell him during dinner" Amy asked.

"My lips are sealed, but I am very excited for you. I know he will be as well."

"Rajesh is coming to see me in about 30 minutes, would you like to come back to UCLA and see him?"  
Amy offered.

"I wish I could, but your soon-to-be-husband is a slave driver. I am already running slightly over for my lunch. But if you wouldn't mind, would you ask him to call me? I think I might prepare him a meal for a change as a surprise" Alex liked Amy's idea of making something for Sheldon so thought she might do the same for Raj.

"Will do. Let me just pay the check and then we can be on our way" Amy lifted up her hand to the waiter and signaled for the bill.

After paying the bill, the women left the restaurant and head back to their respective workplaces.


	28. Chapter 28: A Nobel Prize

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: Thank you guest for your reviews. I appreciate your loyalty to the story and kind remarks.  
There is some smut at the end of this chapter, for those who love smut ;)_

Sheldon was standing at his office door looking at his watch when Alex returned. "You're late" he said when she walked in.

"I'm sorry, but I was meeting Dr. Fowler for lunch. I apologize it went over. I will make up the hours tomorrow" Alex offered.

"Not necessary. How was your lunch with Amy?" Sheldon was curious.

"It was wonderful. She helped me make a decision I had been struggling with and we had some great food as well" Alex said. "You are a very fortunate man to be marrying her. She is quite a woman. I am very impressed by her."

"I am indeed and she is very impressive." Sheldon bragged.

Just as he was about to continue, the phone rang and Alex picked it up. "Dr. Cooper's Office, Alex speaking."

"Well, well, well, Shelly's got some sort of Assistant now. Would you tell him that Missy is on the line?"

Alex muted the phone and turned to Sheldon, "Dr. Cooper, a woman named Missy is on the line."

"I'll take it, thank you." Sheldon then closed the door behind him and picked up the phone.

"Hello Missy, what has you calling me in the middle of the day and not at our regularly scheduled time?"

"Well Shelly, I had to call you. You see, remember that journal of yours that you wrote as a kid?"

"I have been writing journals as early as a year and a half old, you will have to be more specific, and what about it?" Sheldon always found talking to his twin a bit disconcerting.

"You know…the one that you used to make fun of everything? Well anyhow, Sugar, I sent that thing into a publisher about 7 years ago. It got published and the proceeds went into an account under your name. I wasn't wantin' to steal anything, but I figured if I got a laugh out of the thing and didn't even understand it, others would as well. So, I sent it in."

"You what? In what Universe were you given permission…"

"Now before you get your briefs all in a twist, let me continue to explain why I am calling, Sugar."

Sheldon calmed down enough to listen "Fine."

"So I sent this thing in, it got published and well it did very well. It was on the Best Seller List for Science even. And, like I said, all the money from the book sales has been going into an account that I had set up for you, since it was your writin' and all. At any rate, the publisher contacted me, Sugar. It seems, you may have won a prize for the book and they wanted to know your real name. See, when I had it published, I made up a name and had it published under a name I knew I would remember 'cuz, Sugar, I made it up from your silly boy dolls and comic books."

"Melissa Grace Cooper! What are you saying? What name?"

"Well Sugar, the publisher contacted me because, as I said you won a prize. And when the committee was tyrin' to find the author of the book to announce the prize, they learned that it was a pen name and they wanted to know the real name of the author" Missy drug out details all the time. Sheldon was getting mighty frustrated.

"Dr. Cooper, there is a special delivery package here" Alex interrupted, by knocking quick and opening the door. "I think you will want this right away." Alex had seen who the sender was and she knew Sheldon would want it. She was literally jumping up and down with enthusiasm.

"Excuse me Missy, it seems I have to sign for a package. Hang on" Sheldon said and took the package and signed for it. He was a bit annoyed at so many disturbances all at once. Sheldon liked order and so far his afternoon had been anything but orderly with Alex being late, an unexpected call from Missy, and now a package from…..Sheldon then fell into his chair and turned white. He looked again to make sure he was correct. The sender was from

**Alfred Nobel Prize Committee**

"Shelly? Are you still there? "Missy yelled while trying to reach Sheldon. Sheldon slipped his letter opener and carefully opened the shipping envelope. He then pulled out the letter that was on the Official Nobel Prize Committee letterhead and envelope. Opening the envelope carefully, he began to read.

"What? Literature?" Sheldon tossed down the piece of paper and felt it had to be a joke.

"Shelly?" Missy yelled even louder.

"Oh sorry, yes, I am here. So as you were saying. Some prize, a book under a different name. Continue" Sheldon was still distracted and picked up the letter a second time while Missy continued.

"I said, Shelly, the book that I was talking about is called _Unraveling the Universe by Pulling the String_ and your pen name is Barry Kirk after Barry West from Flash and Captain Kirk from Star Trek. Wasn't I clever comin' up with that one" Missy laughed.

Sheldon snapped back to attention to what he caught of Missy's last sentence "What? You named me after a Barry West and Captain Kirk? I'm sorry, I got a letter that distracted me while you were talking, can you repeat what you said?"

"I said, boy Sugar, you should listen… It's really is rude to not listen to a caller. They can't see what ya'all are doing. Anyway, I said that the book is called _Unraveling the Universe by Pulling the String_ and your pen name is Barry Kirk from those characters."

"Oh Lord, please tell me you are kidding me?" Sheldon put his hand over his face, embarrassed to be associated with the book, but then again he had to remind himself he hadn't actually read it.

"Sugar, are you listenin' to me?" Missy interrupted his thoughts.

"Yes, as you were saying."

"Well it seems that you done won yourself your first Nobel Prize, Sugar. You always said you would win one and I always thought you were dreamin' big, but here you are, a winner" Missy finally got to her point.

"So this letter I got is true?" Sheldon was dismayed. He never sought a prize in Literature and it was pure hokum to have something in liberal arts.

"Sugar, you did. You won it fair and square. You were supposed to hear from them today, according to the publisher. By the way, you have all that money sittin' pretty in an account. You might want to check, but from my understandin' you have a small fortune in the bank right now" Missy revealed.

"Thank you, Missy. So where are these funds?" Sheldon was still not sure what to think of all of this.

"They are in a bank here in Texas. I can send you the information in email if you want."

"No, I want to talk to Amy first. Missy, is there other surprises you have for me?"

"No, Sugar, just that one. How is your precious little girl? Is she all nervous now that the weddin' day is gettin' closer?"

"She is doing wonderful , despite her family situation. We met with the Fowler's yesterday and we haven't really had time to digest it all. Penny got in an accident and we both have been helping out she and Leonard, plus with both of our demanding jobs, and moving to our house, we just have not had much time to get nervous ,"Sheldon tried to cover.

"Oh that's right, Mama told me ya'all got some house. She still isn't thrilled about you two under the same roof. So tell me, you can tell me, are you and Amy havin' sex?"

"As I told mother, we will not sin and sex is for the wedding night, not before" Sheldon carefully crafted his words.

"Well Shelly, you can't keep that girl waitin' too long. You better be ready to give her what she wants the night of February 14. By the way, I will be there on the 12th. I can only get a couple of days off before the weddin'. Tell Amy that I will be there to help her with any last minute details" Missy informed.

"All right. I presume you will be staying at the house? Do you know when Mee-Maw and Mother arrive?" Sheldon was trying to figure out how he was going to work out all of the logistics.

"Mama and Mee-Maw don't plan to get there until the 13th. Mama said that she and Mee-Maw don't like being away too long in February because of all their church obligations. So they will come on the 13th and leave on the 15th."

"Okay, well, I may have to put them up in a hotel because I have a surprise guest for Amy I am working on and that person will be coming from an international flight…and you had best keep your mouth shut about that, Melissa…it is supposed to be a total surprise. At any rate, the guest I am flying in will be staying with us as well, which means we will have a fairly full house, even with me staying at Leonard's."

"I won't say a word about your guest. I wouldn't want to ruin her surprise." Missy pledged.

"I have to get back to work. I guess I will see you in about two months and six days. Email me your flight information so we can pick you up."

"Oh Shelly, you know I prefer havin' a car so I can get around. Plus I will want to see my girls while I am there and that cute little Rajesh" Missy replied. "I'll send you my flight information, but I will be rentin' a car and you don't need to meet me at the airport."

"Fine. Well thank you for calling and giving me the news. I will see you soon" Sheldon realized he had a lot of logistics to deal with.

"Bye Shelly, Mama and Mee-Maw send their love. Love ya, Sugar" Missy said.

"Send them my love as well and back at you" Sheldon said and then disconnected the call. He sat down and looked at the paper in front of him and shook his head. He could not believe that out of all his education, hard work, planning, and denying himself of a proper social life, that his goal had been achieved, but in the wrong discipline. While he could not help but be flattered that something he wrote when he was a mere 9 years old actually made it to be a Nobel Prize winning piece of Literature, but it was the wrong prize. It wasn't the one he had worked so hard to attain.

Alex had been waiting to see if Sheldon won a prize in Physics. She was on pins and needles and could not focus. She was so excited that she might know a Nobel Prize winner in person that wasn't a friend of her fathers and she only knew through association with her father. She finally waited and listened. When she felt he had gotten off of the phone she knocked on his door. "Dr. Cooper?"

"Come in" Sheldon said.

"I am so curious. I saw the sender on that envelope and well?" She said, bubbling with excitement.

"I would love to share what I know with you Alex, but it will have to wait until tomorrow. I want to be able to share it with my…with Dr. Fowler first." Sheldon almost slipped and said "his wife", but he also wanted to get Amy's perspective on the win and let that digest before telling anyone else. "I believe I am going to leave early. I have been highly productive this morning and well this needs some immediate attention" he said, nodding to the letter in his hand. He folded the letter, put it back in the envelope and stuck it in his jacket pocket and got up to leave the building.

"You may leave early today as well" Sheldon felt gracious.

"Thank you, Dr. Cooper. I believe I will. I want to make a special dinner for Dr. Koopthrappali tonight."

Sheldon left the office and head for home. When he pulled up, Amy's car was already in the drive. She too had left early, after her appointment with Raj. She was so excited to tell Sheldon all the good news she had received that day that she wanted to prepare a good meal for them and look nice for him. She knew they had planned to do some Christmas shopping so she felt if she left early they could eat early.

In the kitchen, Amy had set the table, had fresh flowers, candles, and two glasses out for sparkling cranberry juice. She had prepared a coq au vin with brown rice, blanched asparagus spears and a parfait with cranberry jello, cranberry mouse and whipped cream. Amy also had on a very pretty new outfit she had bought a while ago, but never worn. It was a deep red, almost wine color suit, similar in style to the one she wore to the night of the poetry slam, but it had gold braided trim. It was very Christmas-y.

The aroma was wonderful when Sheldon walked in. He immediately walked back to the kitchen, following its potency. Walking up and putting his arms around Amy's waist, he surprised her. She had been so absorbed in making sure nothing burned that she had not heard him come in. She jumped at his touch and then turned around with her spoon in her hand, other hand up to her chest. "You startled me!" she teased. "Not that I am complaining, but what are you doing home this early?" She leaned in and kissed him.

"Well, I have some news I wanted to share so I came home to share it with you" Sheldon said. "But not until we have sat down to eat." He pulled her into a deeper and more passionate kiss. "Plus, I believe I owe you a night of passion and a "I love you" since we left in such a hurry this morning" Sheldon teased.

"I love you too and yes, a night…maybe up on that rug" Amy teased. "Well you are in luck. Dinner is ready."

"It smells delicious. I am famished after following the good aroma. The table is lovely as well" Sheldon remarked as he walked over and took a seat. He had not even taken off his jacket yet. So he got back up, removed the jacket and hung it over the chair. He decided he would wait and find out about her day first, before springing his news on her.

"Thank you." Amy poured the sparkling drink in their glasses and served their plates. She sat down opposite him and they began to eat."

"This is delicious. Amy, you really outdid yourself. I don't even know what this is called, but it is the tastiest thing I have ever had." Sheldon relished his meal. He was surprised because she made him something he had not pre-approved, but found it delicious.

"It is coq au vin, a French inspired recipe. I love it and thought you might enjoy it as well."

"So beautiful, how did your day go?"

"It was amazing! I have been awarded another grant and new study on addictions. I also was given another cover article in the journal and….I have been named Neurobiologist of the Year!" Amy squealed as she said the last part.

Sheldon leaned over and kissed her, pulling her out of her chair and lifting her off her feet and twirling her around. "I am so proud of you. You deserved it, no doubt about that, but it is nice to know they finally recognized you as they should." Sheldon put her back down and they returned to their seats.

"I met with Alex today at lunch and we had a discussion about Rajesh. I believe she may be falling for him. I definitely grilled her too but she held up well through it. And then Raj came by and we ran some further tests on him. I hope to have the results completed in the next day or two." Amy blushed at his praise and continued with her daily report. She then remembered he came home early because he had some news. "So you said you had some news?"

Sheldon had just finished his main course and was eyeing desert. He had such a sweet tooth and he thought it looked tasty. "Yes, but not before you hand me that desert."

Amy handed him a parfait and then waited to learn of his news. She too had finished her main meal and wasn't really hungry for desert yet. She felt she would let it be available should he want seconds.

"Yum…this is good" Sheldon said like a little boy. He was so happy. Amy loved it when he was happy. She loved it even more when he was happy because of something she did.

"I am glad you like it. You can have mine if you want. I really am full and don't have an appetite for it."

"Oh yes, I would like that." Sheldon said. He sure knew how to stretch out a moment. Amy had been waiting patiently to know what his news was and had learned to give him time to get there.

After taking a couple of spoon filled bites of his second parfait, he decided it was time to share the news. Turning to his jacket behind his back, he pulled out the envelope and handed it to Amy.

Amy took the envelope and had a puzzled look on her face. "You want me to read this?"

"Yes, please."

Amy read the letter and her eyes grew wide. She looked up at him and said "I don't understand. This is for Literature, it must be a mistake."

"It is not a mistake, unfortunately."

"But when did you submit anything to the Committee….that would have any relevancy to Literature?"

"That's just it…I didn't submit. Evidently my publisher submitted."

"I…I…I didn't know you had a publisher for a piece of Literature" Amy was speechless. She was looking at her husband and realizing he was a man always full of surprises. She would never grow weary of him.

"Well, this afternoon I received a call from Missy. It seems that she has been up to mischief for about seven years." Sheldon always had strange ways to get to the bottom line.

"Okay. I am not sure what this means, but continue."

"She took a journal of mine that I wrote when I was nine years old. She sent it to a publisher about seven years ago. She said she had read it and it made her laugh so she thought it would be enjoyed by a lot of people."

"So Missy sent in your journal to a publisher? And is that what this prize is based on?" Amy already was trying to cut to the chase.

"Excuse me, I am trying to tell you a story here. Please kindly not interrupt."

"Fine…proceed."

"The publisher published the book and all proceeds have been going to an account under my name for the number of years the book has been in print. It became a Best Seller. "

"What is the name of the book?"

"I am getting to that, Miss I-have-to-Interrupt-a-story" Sheldon teased. Amy sighed and gestured for him to continue. "The publisher evidently submitted the piece or else the Committee contacted him, that part is unclear to me since I don't know the process for Literature prizes, only for Physics prizes. At any rate, they Committee selected my piece as the winner and contacted the publisher to try and speak with the author only to find out the author was just a pen name that I had been given…by Missy."

Amy giggled, trying to imaging what insulting names she might have come up with, knowing her sense of humor.

"And just what is so funny?"

"I was just imagining what kind of names Missy might come up with" Amy blushed. "Please continue your story."

"The book… is that very book I showed you the other night… that I criticized. I did admit to you at the time I had not read it, but now I must eat crow since it appears that I am the very author of that piece of trash."

"Are you talking about _Unraveling the Universe by Pulling the String_ by Dr. Barry Kirk?..so you are Dr. Barry Kirk" Amy started to laugh. Her shoulders were shaking from laughter and she tried so hard to stifle it, but it could not help but come out.

"This is a sorry state of affairs to a Nobel Prize winner" Sheldon pretended to lament, although he did find the whole thing ridiculous as well.

"I'm sorry, I'm sorry" Amy said while putting her hand up in apology. "I just can't believe that you ended up being Dr. Barry Kirk. We just said the other night we had never heard of him and it turns out to be you. I told you at the time the book was actually quite entertaining and I am even more impressed to know you wrote that when you were only nine years old" Amy finally got control over herself.

"I know…I guess I should read the printed version. It annoys me I never got a chance to make sure they didn't change anything" Sheldon shrugged.

"Sheldon, this is a huge honor. I am so proud of you. I know it wasn't the Prize you expected, but it still is a Nobel Prize. It still will have your name go down in history as a winner of the Prize." Amy had grabbed his arm with her hand and comforted as she expressed her sincere feelings on the matter. "I am sure you will get one in Physics as well…..And, with this one…we get to go to Norway" she teased.

"I had not thought about that. Yes, it will be nice to be on the platform in Norway" Sheldon perked up. "And there is some sort of monetary award for it, so that could help with home maintenance expenses" Sheldon started to feel better about the award.

"Yes, but those are irrelevant compared to the honor. I am so proud of you." Amy beamed.

"So, you think I should accept the award?" Sheldon asked.

"Of course, and I will be honored to be there watching you receive the award, knowing that my husband is a Nobel Prize winning author" Amy boast. She leaned over and gave him a kiss. "Forget Christmas shopping, race you upstairs so we can celebrate" she said, raising her eyebrows.

"Woman, you are on!" Sheldon said, leaping out of his chair and starting to run.

Amy and Sheldon ran upstairs. Sheldon put on a fire while Amy changed into one of her lingerie outfits. She had bought a couple of new ones for her honeymoon, but felt that since they were secretly married, it was sort of like being on a honeymoon. She was getting the same benefits. She covered herself in her robe while Sheldon went to change. "I am going to go make hot cocoa. I will be right back" she yelled through the door. She ran down and began making cocoa.

Sheldon came out with only his robe on. He didn't bother putting on anything else. Grabbing a condom, he went over to stir the fire, moved the coffee table aside so that he and Amy could lean against the loveseat again and enjoy the fire, giving them room for any other activity that may arise, and set the condom on the edge of the rug near enough they could reach it quickly.

Within minutes, Amy was back upstairs with two cups full of cocoa and marshmallows. She cuddled up next to Sheldon after handing him his cup and they watched the dancing fire. Once their cups were empty, the fire was raging and so were their hormones. Amy pulled off her robe and tossed it aside.

"I've missed you. We didn't get a chance to make love this morning" Sheldon lovingly said as he began to kiss her neck. "I must tell you, Dr. Fowler-Cooper, you are mighty sexy in this little number you are wearing, but I have to admit, it won't be on for long."

"I believe that was the intent. These things are never that comfortable. They are more for stirring those hormones of yours" she teased back.

Sheldon began to pull off her "little number", taking in the taste of Amy as he did. She moaned with rapture and played with his hair as he worked his magic on her breasts. She then let her hands travel down his chest and toward the tie holding his robe together. Pulling it loose she began to remove it off of his shoulders and was thrilled to see that he was fully naked and erect, standing at attention so to speak. She began to follow his length with her fingers, making him moan and toss his head back in pure ecstasy.

She pushed him back onto the floor and crawled over him, letting his mouth take in a breast while she continued to play with him and help his length grow. Getting up, she then went to the top of his head and lay out from his body. She wanted to kiss him from upside down. Something in her wanted to experiment with something new.

Sheldon found her amazing. He let her experiment all she wanted. She finally broke their kiss and worked her way down him, remaining opposite in direction of him. As she worked her way down, it was more of a slither. He felt her breasts brushing against him as he moved. She then, took his erection in her hand and let it play up against her erect nipples, evoking a small gasp and cry from Sheldon. He felt it was very erotic. Her crotch was so near his face that he leaned up and began to taste her. It was the first time he had ever tried tasting her and he liked it. He explored the inside of her cavity and as he did, her moans just made him all the more turned on. He found ways to bring out her Hoos, and her cries.

She decided that fair is fair and decided to return the favor and took him in her mouth as he continued to pleasure her. He let out a huge cry of rapture as she did. The two were so close to orgasm, but Amy wanted him inside of her. She finally pulled away and also pulled away from his pleasuring her. She flipped around, grabbing a condom that was sitting on the floor near the rug edge, she placed it on him, crawled back on top of him, and guided him inside of her. She kept her knees very high up almost to his shoulders and laid low so that he could go deeper and deeper within, while keeping tight around him. Within moments both shouted out in ecstasy, releasing together.

After cooling down and getting their breathing back in more of a normal state, Amy rolled back over and next to Sheldon. He reached up and managed to pull down a blanket over them and nestled her into him.

"That was amazing. Thank you for the celebration" he said and pulled her into a passionate kiss.

"It was amazing. I think I want a repeat of that soon" Amy said. "Did I ever tell you that you are the most amazing lover?"

"No, but since I have been your only lover, how do you know?" Sheldon still had a hard time believing that she could be so excited by him; it thrilled him that she could.

"Well I have had the pleasure center in my brain stimulated 128 times and they were nothing even close to what you do to me. So I still say you are one amazing lover…hot and sexy too!" Amy was not embarrassed in the least. She found him to be the hottest man she could imagine.

"Well, I have to admit, I cannot imagine anyone ever pleasuring me like you do. You are an awesome lover yourself, lovely wife of mine" he said, while taking a finger and following the outline of her face. He leaned over and kissed her again. They lay in front of the fire, falling asleep on the floor. It wasn't until the wee hours of the morning, after the fire had burned down and it was getting cold that they moved back to their bed and continued their sleep.


	29. Chapter 29: A Call from Scotland

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The following morning the couple felt well rested, even with starting the night on a hard floor. "Good morning, Beautiful" Sheldon leaned over and kissed his wife.

"Good morning, Plaything" Amy replied back smiling. "Last night was amazing."

"Umm…it sure was."

"Do we have time?"

"Ummm…I will make time."

With that, the couple decided to perform an encore from the night before. It was a bit of a quicker episode, but still just as beautiful and satisfying. They got up and showered together and somehow the shower managed to get both of their motors running yet again. So a second curtain call in the shower just did the trick. Finally, they emerged from the shower, water had turned to cool by then, and dried off, dressing for the day. Finishing morning ablutions, they descended down the stairs and had breakfast.

"So do you want me to drop you off at Cal Tech today and you can get a ride after work with Leonard?" Amy suggested. "That way we can drive home from your old apartment together after we visit with he and Penny and I can help her get more settled?"

"Yes. I think he was going to pick up Penny later this evening to bring her back to the apartment. So that should work, even if he has to leave early."

The couple decided to enjoy breakfast out on their back patio since the weather was warmer that morning and the sun was so bright. They ate leisurely just soaking in how blessed they were. Toward the end of eating, as he was gathering up their dishes, Sheldon asked "Amy, not to put a damper mood on things, but have you thought any more about what you want to do about the information you learned the other night?"

Amy sighed. She really liked having put that out of her mind over the last day. Yesterday was a full day of nothing but extraordinary things. She had great news and so did Sheldon. They had amazing love-making sessions and she really wasn't ready to let that end.

"No, but I promise I will. I just need some space from thinking about it."

"I understand. But you did send them an invitation to the wedding?"

"Yes I addressed one to send, I just haven't sent it yet." Amy wasn't really procrastinating as much as unsure what she wanted.

"Don't you think they will learn from your aunt and uncle that you sent out invitations?"

"I suppose you are right. I will mail it today. I honestly can't keep them from the wedding anyway, but I want to make sure they don't cause a scene" Amy shrugged, shoulders slumping for the first time in 24 hours.

"I don' think of Winston and Jane as scene-makers, but I will speak with them if you wish" Sheldon offered.

"Can I think about this some other time? I will send out the invites, but really want to just bask in this morning's beautiful time in bed and the shower" Amy smirked.

"By all means yes, but you know….you don't have to only bask. Whenever you want a repeat performance, I am sure I can muster up some energy for the occasion" Sheldon said, raising his eyebrows in the way that drove Amy crazy. She loved it when he made that motion. It was so flirty.

Getting up and standing next to him, she ran her fingers across his chest and taunted "Oh, I guarantee there will be repeat performance demanded."

"Woman, you had better quit that right now. We have to get to work and if you keep that up, we will never make it there" Sheldon truly wanted to take her right there, in the kitchen.

"Well, I suggest we initiate this room sometime. It seems to feel lonely that it has been left out. In fact, I say all the rooms need some form of initiation" Amy teased.

"Game on! After we get back from my old apartment, we are so trying out a new room" Sheldon vowed.

They cleaned up the dishes, splashing water at each other and playing at the time, knocking each other out of the way and just being totally in love. After they dried off and gathered their things, both piled into Amy's car and head to work. Amy dropped of Sheldon then went on to UCLA.

"Good morning, Dr. Cooper. You had a phone call from a Dr. Tavish Angus MacGregor this morning. He asked that you Skype him or call him whenever you got in, if convenient" Alex greeted.

"Good morning, Alex. Thank you. Please do not disturb me for about an hour. I will be involved in a discussion with Dr. MacGregor" Sheldon nodded as he head into his office. Turning on his computer and letting it boot up, he sat down and pulled together some thoughts before placing a Skype call to Dr. MacGregor. Pressing the Skype call button, Sheldon waited for a response.

"Thank you, Dr. Cooper, for returning my call" a cherry Tavish Angus MacGregor answered the call.

"Good morning, or I guess evening there, Dr. MacGregor" Sheldon greeted.

"Please, call me Angus. I much prefer that" the doctor requested.

"All right…Angus, thank you for sending Amy a Christmas gift. I have not opened the box and set it under the tree. Dare I ask what you sent?"

"Aye, so you got the box I sent. Good. I was concerned it might not get to you in time for Christmas. It is an old keepsake of Iona's. It has been passed down for generations to each woman as she marries. Iona received it from my Margarite when she Iona married Winston. Now that both women have passed on, I wanted to make sure the tradition kept on. It will have a letter inside explaining things. Iona wrote Amy a letter when she was ill, knowing that it would go with this gift, upon the time Amy would be marrying" Angus explained to Sheldon in his Gaelic brogue.

"I am sure she is going to be very touched when she opens it. I will take a video and send it to you so you can see her reaction" Sheldon promised. "I wanted to speak with you to arrange logistics for your trip here in February."

"Aye, I have a conference I have been asked, as an Alumni Emeritus Faculty member, to speak at located in Washington State. I am scheduled to speak on February 10th and again a wee panel time on February 12th. I could fly down either the night of the 12th or on the 13th. Then, when you are ready to fly to Scotland, we can return together" Angus offered.

"All right. How about if we have you arriving from Washington the evening of the 12th as on the 13th some of my family will be arriving and we will have to shuffle them around a bit. This way you have at least some hours with Amy before they arrive. We plan to leave for Scotland on the 15th, would that work?" Sheldon wanted to firm up the plans so he could make all the reservations.

"Aye, that would be excellent. I am very much looking forward to meeting you in person and my precious little Amy" Angus ' sentimentality coming through in his voice.

"Sir, we are very much looking forward to meeting you as well. I am sure we will have a lot of questions, but those won't likely come until we are in Scotland. We would rather just have the opportunity to unwind and enjoy your company" Sheldon courteously stated.

"Aye, I think that would be my preference as well." Angus took a couple of moments, but then asked "Might I inquire as to whether Winston and Jane plan to be present at the nuptials?"

"I believe so. Amy wasn't sure, but felt she had no choice but to invite them to the event. She is sending out their invitation today. By the way, your invitation was sent, but she does not know that. I snuck one of the extra ones and addressed it myself. I sent it airmail so that it would arrive in time" Sheldon mentioned. "Please send the RSVP, if you would not mind, back to me. I will just let her know there is another colleague guest to add to her "yes" list. She won't question me further."

"Aye, good plan."

"Do you have a problem with the Fowler's being present?" Sheldon asked.

"It would be better if I would not have had to face them, but for Amy and you, I will just try to blend in the woodwork and not cause any trouble. I will explain more when we have a chance to speak in Scotland. I only ask that we not sit anywhere near each other when making your seating arrangements."

"That will not be an issue. Even though I plan to have you walk Amy down the aisle, I will sit you with my Mee-Maw, mother, sister, as well as my brother and his wife or girlfriend, whatever he is on by now. They will ensure that you will not be bothered by the Fowlers. I would have normally had you sit at the head table, but felt it would be more comfortable sitting with my Mee-Maw and mother. They are good stock and will make you feel welcome" Sheldon offered.

"That sounds lovely. I would very much like to meet your mother and your Mee-Maw, as you call her" Angus was intrigued what Sheldon's family was like.

"I warn you, they are from Texas and Texans are very proud people, probably not unlike the Scottish, and my mother in particular is a bit of a Bible-thumping woman. So be prepared to hear a lot of religious comments" Sheldon chuckled as he tried to give heed.

"I don't have an issue with that. As a believing man myself, I am sure we will be able to get along."

"I will make sure that Amy has your table on one side of the room, and the Fowler's on the opposite side" Sheldon comforted.

"Excellent. Well I called you for another reason. I understand you just won a Nobel Prize in Literature."

"Yes, much to my chagrin. I have never felt any purpose for the arts, and isn't it ironic that it would be the place I would win a Prize" Sheldon sounded less than enthused.

"Well, I have it on good word that you may not be receiving only one Prize. I can't guarantee another one is coming, but you may be contacted shortly again. Don't be at all surprised if you are" Angus tried to contain excitement. He actually was a good friend of a Committee member who had confided in him who was on the top list of candidates to win and even where they were ranked. Needless to say, it was looking promising for Sheldon.

"Really? You think so? I just submitted right before the deadline date. I didn't think they would make a decision so quickly. I suspected it might be next year before they would get to my submission" Sheldon was stunned.

"It seems that your submission somehow got through quickly and was high-tracked to the Committee. Call it God, if you wish the Seelie Court Faeries that helped, but blessings are upon you, Son. I am proud of your win in Literature regardless of the outcome of this other deal. But just know that you have been very blessed that somehow your submission managed to bypass a lot of red-tape and get to high places quickly" Angus shared.

Sheldon was gob smacked. It really did leave him speechless. After a couple of minutes, he frowned and asked "Are you, Sir, on the Committee? I don't want to be ungracious, but I hope if the outcome is that I am granted another Prize, it is on my own merit."

"Nay, I am not on the Committee so you need not concern yourself with such matters. Anything you are awarded in life will be from your own accomplishments and merits, not mine" Angus reassured.

Sheldon then broke out in a smile "Thank you for letting me know. Even if they bypass me this time, at least my name has been in front of them and perhaps there will come another opportunity soon. I am currently working on something that if I am successful, which I am confident I will be, will lead to another submission."

"And that, Dr. Cooper, is what is going to assure you a win, at some point, in Physics. I have no doubt that if not this time, it is soon" Angus supported. "Now as much as I have enjoyed our little _crack*_ this morning, I really have to run off to a meeting. Would you please email the itinerary when you have it for my flight to Los Angeles?"

"Yes, I will be sending you everything in email. Thank you, Sir, for the gift for Amy, for welcoming me into the family, and for this hopeful news. You have been very encouraging and supportive. I really appreciate it and look forward to your visit here soon" Sheldon said with all sincerity.

"Aye, me too. Be blessed and give my girl a kiss from me. Good evening, Dr. Cooper" Angus closed.

"Good evening." The call disconnected and Sheldon just sat staring at the screen for a few moments. His mind was racing and the excitement within could hardly be contained. But he warned himself to not get overly excited. If he were to win a Prize in Physics this year as well, he would be the very first person to win two Prizes awarded in the same year. Granted, in different disciplines and fields, but still, it was more than a dream of his to own a Prize, much less two in the same year.

Standing up and doing a big jump, swinging his arm across at the same time he yelped "Yeeeee!". He couldn't contain the excitement. It was just an honor to be considered before the Committee this year period, much less so quickly. And then to be included on the narrowed down list of possible candidates was even more exciting. He kept telling himself to calm down that it didn't guarantee a win, but a part of him believed in all his heart he won. He just could not contain the excitement.

Alex knocked on the door "Dr. Cooper?"

"Yes, Alex?" Sheldon replied.

"I heard a scream or something, are you all right?" Alex asked as she opened the door.

"Yes, I am sorry. I just was excited about making some progress on something that had been troubling me. "

"Oh, okay." She started to exit and then turned back around and asked "Umm…excuse me, Dr. Cooper, but yesterday…you got that envelope. May I ask if it is what I think it is?" Alex remembered the special delivery from the Nobel Prize Committee and was dying to know the outcome.

"Not really. I mean I did win a Nobel Prize, just not in the field one would expect, certainly not that I expected." Sheldon replied annoyed again that it was in the arts.

"You won a Prize? In what field?" Alex's eyes were wide and she was bouncing with enthusiasm…enthusiasm that Sheldon lacked.

"Of all things, most ironically, Literature." He laid his head down on the desk and put his hands behind his head as if to hide.

"Literature? I wasn't aware you wrote a piece of literature. I thought I had read most of your works" Alex seemed perplexed.

"That is because it was under a pen name. My sister submitted a journal I wrote in when I was nine years old to a publisher seven years ago which has been on the Science Best Seller list, and even has done quite well in general population from what I understand. I had no knowledge until she called me yesterday and told me about it, which happened to be timed about the same time the envelope arrived," Sheldon informed.

"What was the book called?" Alex asked.

"_Unraveling the Universe by Pulling the String _and my pen name she gave me was Dr. Barry Kirk. She found it amusing to name me after Barry West from the Flash comic series and Captain Kirk from Star Trek."

Alex laughed and said "I have read that book. It was wonderful. I laughed so much at the satire. It was so well written. I can't believe you wrote that as a nine year-old kid. You really were a prodigy," Alex was awestruck. She had grown up around brilliant minds her whole life but somehow she realized the most brilliant mind of all was sitting right in front of her. She really could not stop gaping at him.

"If you will excuse me, Alex, I need to get some work accomplished as well do you too. You are excused to return to your desk and get back to work," Sheldon shooed her out of the office. After she left and closed the door behind her he sat and leaned back in his chair contemplating the conversation he had with Angus.

Sheldon turned to his whiteboard and looked at the new problem he had spoken to Angus about that he was trying to solve. He began to make adjustments and notations, both on the board and on a sheet of paper, keeping a trail of any change he made as he went.

Several hours later, Leonard popped his head in and asked "Hey Buddy, ready for lunch?" Sheldon looked up and had not even realized it was that late. He nodded consent and got up to join Leonard and the gang. Raj had remained in the outer office to talk to Alex. He joined Sheldon and Leonard and they all went down to the cafeteria.

Once the boys had sat down to have lunch, Leonard's phone rang. He looked at the caller and didn't recognize the number right off so answered "Dr. Hoftstader."

"Leonard, it's Penny. The hospital said they were short on beds and needed me to try and check out as soon as possible. All the release paperwork has been signed and they just need someone to come get me. Can you come get me?"

Leonard looked around to the other guys. He was knew he had an appointment with the Chancellor again and that it could not be moved. "Baby, I want to pick you up, but I have a meeting with the Chancellor. Do you want me to see if one of the other guys can get you?"

"No, let me call my girls first and see if one of them will get me and help me get home."

"Tell them to take you to my apartment. I have more room and want to be there to take care of you" Leonard instructed.

"Okay, I'll call you right back if they can't help."

"Okay, love you"

"Love you too"…And the call disconnected.

Amy had a very successful day. Her grad students helped her correlate recent data, as she began to put together a plan and a list of what would be needed to order for the new studies they would begin from her recently awarded grant. Her phone suddenly rang. She didn't recognize the number.

"Dr. Fowler."

"Ames, this is Penny."

"Oh hi Bestie, how are you doing?"

"I am supposed to go home today, but Leonard can't come get me until later because of a meeting. The hospital is trying to make me check out because they need the bed-space and asked me to try and leave within the hour. Is there any way you can come get me?"

"Sure, Bestie. Anything for you. Besides, I haven't had lunch yet and my grad students and I have accomplished a lot this morning. I will leave now and be there in about 10 minutes."

"Ok, thank you. See you then." Disconnecting the call, Amy took off her lab coat and let her team know she would be back later and that she had to pick up a friend from the hospital and get them settled before returning.

"Dr. Fowler, you can actually just login and do work remotely if you want. We have everything under control here and what you are doing can be done anywhere" her assistant reminded her.

"Good point. I think I will do just that." She then quickly downloaded a few files to her laptop and packed it up and left for the day.

Arriving at the hospital, Amy went straight up to Room 518 to a waiting Penny.

"Oh good you are here. The nurses kept coming in to see if I had left yet. Good grief so much for bedside manners" Penny's wit had returned.

"Well I am just glad you will be out of this place and can relax. I know I am supposed to take you to Leonard's but what do you say we go back to my house and let you relax there most of the afternoon and I can take you over to his place later?" Amy said. "I would like some girl time with my, Bestie."

"I would like that, Ames. I love your house."

"Okay, let's get you released and out of here." Amy pressed the call button to get the nurse back into the room so they could get the orderlies to come and escort Penny back down to the lobby. The release paperwork, being already signed, just had a few orders the nurse went over with Amy to make sure Penny was well taken care of, and then they just waited for the orderly to arrive. Within minutes a young man arrived with a wheelchair and helped Penny get into the chair. He explained how to help Penny up and down to Amy and showed what to avoid.

Amy left and went down the regular elevators so that she could stop by the pharmacy and pick up Penny's prescription, then bring her car up to the front doors while the orderly brought Penny down to the patient release area, handed them the paperwork and waited for their stamp of approval. Once he received it, he wheeled Penny to the front door and watched for Amy to pull up.

"That's her" Penny said to the orderly. He nodded and then moved Penny out the door and to the car. Again, as he helped Penny into the car, he gave Amy instructions as to how to help her in and out of a car in order to not hurt her ankle and ribs. Once Penny was seated, Amy helped her with the seatbelt, following the orderly's instructions on how to prevent pain to the ribcage, yet still be secure.


	30. Chapter 30: Spreading the News

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Arriving at her house, Amy helped Penny inside and to the small window seat in the kitchen. She felt Penny would feel more comfortable in there and it would allow them quick access to beverages and snacks. Amy then switched on the remote TV found in the kitchen and handed it to Penny to browse what she wanted to watch. Amy set up her laptop on the kitchen table so she could get some work done while they were visiting.

"So how are things going with you and Sheldon living under the same roof?" Penny asked eying Amy.

Amy continued typing away at the computer to act like nothing was different and said "Different, but good. I got him to eat something he had never tried before the other night."

"Really? Something not on his approved list?" Penny said sarcastically and then laughed.

"I know. He can be regimented, but he is loosening up some." Amy laughed with her. Amy considered telling Penny about Sheldon's Nobel Prize, but didn't want to steal his thunder.

"He and I have to Christmas shop still. The only present that we have received so far came from my grandfather in Scotland" Amy decided to change the subject.

"Oh I know what you mean. I haven't bought a thing for Christmas. I think Beverly is supposed to come this year. Leonard has been crabby since he found out. He loves his mother, but in small doses."

"Yes, she is rather rigid. She makes Sheldon look like a light-weight in that department. But she likes you a lot, so it should be not that bad" Amy tried to remain optimistic.

"Yeah, she does like me, but that could be because Leonard is just dating me. I don't know if she would like me as much if she thought we were more serious" Penny pondered.

"Oh speaking of serious, did I tell you I had lunch with Alex the other day?" Amy introduced some gossip.

"No, you did? What did she want?" Penny was curious. She wondered if Alex was truly over Leonard.

"Well she actually wanted to know about the experimentation I am doing with Rajesh to try and cure his selective mutism. However, while we were together, before I would answer her questions, I made her answer some of mine" Amy's eyes twinkled. She couldn't wait to tell her Bestie she had nothing to worry about.

"Really? What were your questions?" Penny tried to adjust herself to sit up straighter, curious what Amy was going to say. She winced in pain as she moved herself until adjusted right to listen.

"I asked her point blank if she was over Leonard. I told her I wanted to know how she could have gotten over her crush on Leonard so quickly and then find Raj of potential interest."

"Ames, I can't believe you asked her that. You go, Girl! You have got moxy" Penny was proud of her best friend.

"She was very honest and sincere in her response. I analyzed all of her facial expressions and body language as she replied" Amy wanted to assure Penny. "Basically, Alex said that she realized that Leonard loved you and that you two were serious and that there was no room for her. She also had been talking to Rajesh about his work through emails and then daily chats online and began to like his personality and found they shared a lot of interests. She found him interesting and sweet and started to develop an interest in him. She had always thought he was handsome so she grew to want to consider him more for a potential romantic connection."

"So she really does like him and is not trying to, in some twisted way, think that Leonard could be jealous?" Penny caught on to Amy's line of thinking.

"Right, she sincerely is not trying to get Leonard jealous. She really is interested in Rajesh, which is why she wanted to ask me about the experimentation. She was actually more concerned that whatever I may come up with could alter him in a way or that he would regain some confidence to become a bit of a player once cured," Amy continued to explain.

"Seriously? Raj a player? That is so laughable" Penny said bursting out laughing.

"I know…but she really said she did not want to get dumped after investing feelings in him" Amy continued. "Underneath her good looks, she is rather insecure in a way. She really was afraid of being dumped. I get the feeling she really must have fallen hard at one point for someone only to suffer a painful breakup and does not want to go through that again" Amy surmised.

"Wow, who would have thought someone as beautiful, smart, and well-connected as she is would be so insecure" Penny was stunned.

"I know. I guess we all, no matter how beautiful, rich, famous, or whatever have some insecurity" Amy concluded. "Would you like a snack and a beverage?"

"Wine would be great… and sure on the snack" Penny replied.

"Umm….Penny….I don't think you should have wine. You are still on some pretty potent pain killers and to be honest, wine is what landed you in the hospital in the first place. How about sparkling cranberry juice?" Amy offered.

"Yeah, I guess. It is really going to suck not being able to have wine or alcohol" Penny lamented.

"I know. I am trying to reduce my intake of such beverages myself. I am learning to take on more of Sheldon's point of view about alcoholic beverages" Amy shared.

"Really? So he is rubbing off on you?" Penny the laughed and said "Or is he just rubbing you…you know…like all your lady parts?"

"You are incorrigible, you know that? He is being very gentlemanly and to be honest…we haven't spent much time alone. We have been super busy. Oh which reminds, me…Did I tell you that I got another cover article published, a new grant study on addictions, and….I have been named Neurobiologist of the Year?" Amy enthused.

"Oh Ames, I am so proud of you. You are seriously named Neurobiologist of the Year? That is so cool." Penny was sincere.

"Yes. I get an awards ceremony and everything. I think the awards are in late January" Amy announced. "I would like you and Leonard to join Sheldon and me to them if you can. I think I can only get three extra tickets so our besties are our first choice."

"Sure, I would be happy to go. Is this dressy?"

"Yes indeed. It is formal attire, black tie. So we can go gown shopping when you can hobble around better" Amy nodded to Penny's ankle.

"I so want to be elegant for it" Penny admitted. "I want Leonard to see I can be an adult. I think he sometimes thinks I am a kid back in high school."

"Well, we will dress to the nine's and be smokin' hot that night. We will go to the spa and get all glammed up as well" Amy suggested. She looked over at Penny and realized Penny looked pretty tired. "You look really exhausted, Bestie. Do you want to lie down in the guest room for a while? It won't take me long to set it up for you."

"Ames, it would be nice to lie down. This medication and the pain really wear me out. Maybe you can give me one of those pain pills the doctor prescribed?"

"Sure. Amy went over to her purse and pulled out the instructions she had been given by the nurse with the release papers. She read them thoroughly to make sure that enough time had passed that she was allowed a pill. Seeing that plenty of time had passed, she brought Penny the correct dosages of medications and some water. She then went upstairs. While she was pulling out bedding for the guest bed, she realized Sheldon's clothes were back upstairs. "Dang…I have to get those downstairs and in that room."

Quickly Amy loaded up a suitcase full of Sheldon's clothing…just enough to be easy to carry down without much notice and fill up to look like he was staying down there. As well, she ran into the bathroom and packed up his toothbrush and toiletries and took them all downstairs. She remembered to bring down some of his favorite medicines as well just in case Penny snooped. With everything she threw in the bedding for the guest room.

Quickly, Amy arranged all of Sheldon's bathroom items first in the Jack and Jill bath. She then put his clothes quickly in drawers and on hangers. She rushed fast, and was thankful that bed was already made up so she didn't have to make two beds. She then went and made up the guest room so that she could get Penny down. She closed the door leading to Sheldon's room and locked it from his room side, hoping that would discourage any snooping. But while Penny would be resting, Amy would make sure to bring up from downstairs a couple of comic books and a couple of Sheldon's journals to look like he had been reading in his room at night.

Amy took a couple of minutes to cool down before going back into the kitchen to get Penny. "Sorry, when I went upstairs to get your bedding, a phone call came in I had to take from work" Amy tried to cover.

"Oh, that's okay."

"Let me help you up." Amy went over and using the instructions given earlier by the orderly, managed to help Penny get to a point where she could hop along. She had to make several stops even though the room was not that far from the kitchen because of the pain in her ribs. Once Amy got Penny settled, she closed the blinds slightly to keep direct sun off of her and give her a more peaceful nap environment. She covered her up and ran to get another glass of water to set beside her in case she got thirsty. "Let me know if you need to get up to go to the bathroom. I can help you get in there. It is right here off of the room, so not too far. I can't vouch for how clean it is, but Sheldon usually is pretty meticulous, so it shouldn't be too bad."

"Okay. Thanks, Ames." Penny laid back and just enjoyed the comfortable bed. It was a queen size bed and she was used to a smaller double bed so she enjoyed the extra space. She managed to lie in a comfortable position so that the pain was not too bad and quickly drifted off to sleep. Amy checked on her and realized Penny was asleep. She dashed back upstairs, grabbed soap and things to put in the shower that she had earlier forgotten and quietly unlocked the door from Sheldon's pretend room to the bathroom and opened the shower and set them inside. She also made sure to have towels set out and for everything to appear as if Sheldon used the bathroom. She even trimmed just the tiniest bit of the ends of a few strands of hair to look like slight whisker hair had been left in the sink after he shaved. She looked at the result and nodded, pleased with herself.

She tiptoed back out of the bathroom and locked Sheldon's door to the bathroom then ran downstairs and pulled about four comic books and two journals and set them on the bedside table with a pair of gloves that he commonly uses for comic book reading so that she would think he had been reading in his room at night. She also made sure that the bedding and everything was set in similar fashion to how she knew Sheldon would leave his room. His bed was never found unmade, but sometimes he would have the covers slightly pulled down so she chose to go that route. Looking over everything, she realized it did look lived in and so exited the room and went back to her laptop in the kitchen. She knew Penny could not get up the stairs so she didn't worry about anything up there.

A couple of hours later, Amy thought she heard Penny. She had been checking on her now and again, but each time Penny was fast asleep. As she got closer to the bedroom she heard "Amy, I need to use the bathroom."

"Coming, Penny."

Amy helped Penny get up out of bed and managed to get her close enough that she could do her business. Amy then left her alone and closed the door, stood outside until she heard Penny was done.  
"God, Amy, tell Sheldon to clean out his sink better when he gets home. He left all his whiskers in the sink" Penny yelled through the door.

Amy opened the door laughing. "Men, you can't live with them and you can't live without them."

"Got that right. What time is it?" Penny was wondering if they should head over to Leonard's.

"I think it's around 4" Amy said. She adjusted her arm so that she could look at her watch. "Yes, its 4:08 to be exact. Do you think we should head to Leonard's?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I think so. He said he would be home early to help me get settled."

"Okay. Will you be okay standing here in the doorway while I grab my purse?"

"Yeah sure."

Amy ran into the kitchen, grabbed her purse, locked her computer screen and then head back to help Penny back out to the car. Once they managed to hobble back to the car, stopping many times for Penny to catch her breath, Amy got her situated, her seat-belt attached, and they were off to the apartment.

Arriving at the apartment, it was then that Amy realized that they were going to have one heck of a time helping Penny get up all the stairs. She decided to call and see if Leonard was back. Maybe between Leonard, Sheldon and her, they could get Penny up without much trouble.

"I'm going to call Leonard to see if he is there yet and can come help. I forgot about all those stairs" Amy informed.

"Dang, I wish they would fix that elevator" Penny just remembered as well.

Amy called and Leonard was about five minutes from the apartment. He and Sheldon would be able to help her get Penny up the stairs.

"They are about five minutes away. I just realized we left your bag behind at my house. Sheldon and I will drop it by tomorrow, or he can give it to Leonard to get to you. I have your medications and release papers in my purse so I will give those to Leonard," Amy updated Penny.

The boys arrived and Penny leaned on the two boys who helped her up the stairs and Amy followed in case she fell backward for any reason. It took them about 30 minutes to get up the stairs. She wearied very quickly because of the strenuous nature of hoping and having broken ribs. Sheldon was not very patient, being heard many times along the path "Are you sure you have to stop again?" But she eventually made it up the stairs and was resting on the couch. She had moved her legs so that Sheldon could still sit in what had been known for 10 years as "his spot." Amy sat in the chair next to the couch. She handed Leonard all the instructions from the hospital as well as the medications.

"Ames, tell Leonard about your award" Penny suggested to Amy.

"Well I think Sheldon has bigger news to share than me, but, Leonard, I have been named Neurobiologist of the Year and will be awarded at a banquet in late January. I told Penny earlier today about it and would like to have you two join us when we attend the banquet. I can be given up to a total of four tickets," Amy extended them the invite.

"Sure, it would be an honor to attend. That is quite an achievement" Leonard praised.

"Well not so fast, wait until you hear Sheldon's news!" Amy smiled and nodded to Sheldon to tell his recent awarded Prize news.

Sheldon shook his head and shrugged "I got a letter yesterday that I have been awarded a Nobel Prize" he started.

"Seriously? That's great, Buddy" Leonard leaped up to give Sheldon a man-hug.

"Umm…thanks, but it isn't what you think."

"What do you mean?" Leonard was confused.

"The Prize is in Literature" Sheldon said. "It's pure hokum if you ask me, and very ironic at that." Sheldon still was struggling with winning anything in the arts.

"Nonsense!" Amy interrupted. "Sheldon wrote a journal when he was nine years old. Missy submitted it to a publisher about seven years ago. The publisher published it under a pen name that Missy made up and it became a Best Seller. I have read it and it was great. He wrote it as a satire and it did not disappoint. It was quite witty and funny." Amy bragged. "At any rate, the publisher submitted or the Committee approached the publisher, we are unclear how it came about…but Sheldon's book somehow got submitted and before the Committee. He received a letter yesterday from the Nobel Prize Committee informing him that he won the Prize in Literature."

"Wait, but you said he had published the book under a different name, so how did they find him?" Penny asked.

"Missy informed them of my real name." Sheldon replied.

"Buddy, what was the book called?"

"_Unraveling the Universe by Pulling the String" _Sheldon replied.

"By Dr. Barry Kirk? I've read that and laughed like crazy. It was a good book" Leonard exclaimed wide-eyed.

"Yes, it would seem that Missy found it quite amusing to name me after Barry West in Flash and Captain Kirk in Star Trek. She said she felt she would remember the pen name easier that way. I say ha-ha, real funny Miss!" Sheldon pouted.

"Sheldon, this is a huge achievement. Sure it isn't in Physics, but so what? You won your first Nobel Prize. You know you will get one in Physics sometime so why the grim face?" Leonard asked.

"Yeah, buck up, Moonpie. You know that you wanted to brag about a Nobel Prize, here is your chance" Penny chimed in.

"I am very proud of him" Amy said beaming. "He is so accomplished. Not only is he brilliant in the Sciences, but he is brilliant in the Arts. Not many people can claim that. He truly is an all-accomplished genius and I have never met one of those. Most are very narrow in their accomplishments" Amy bragged, placing her arm around Sheldon and standing on her toes and kissing his cheek.

Sheldon blushed. When she put it like that, he was a bit more proud of the award. He began to puff up his chest and decide to be proud of his award.

"Yes, I will admit, that not many people can do what I can do. Just more proof that I am a Homo Novus, one of a first new breed, that is, until we decide to have children. Then we will produce new overlords" Sheldon teased and leaned down to give Amy a peck on the lips.

"Ok, enough of this lovey-dovey stuff" Penny whined.

The two couples visited a while and then Sheldon and Amy head back home. "Don't volunteer me again to help her up and down the stairs" Sheldon commented as they head down the stairs at 2311 Los Robles. "That was exhausting."

"Well that isn't very compassionate, but yes, I do agree it was rather burdensome. Oh, by the way, I had to move a bunch of your things back downstairs to keep up the charade. She actually bought it when I managed to cut just a very slight amount of my hair ends in quote your bathroom sink unquote" she said with hand gestures "so it appeared you had shaved and left whiskers accidentally behind."

"Amy, Amy, Amy, you know I am very clean about my bathroom. Since when have I left hair in the sink behind?" Sheldon asked with haughty derision.

"Well she bought it. Her exact words were 'God, Amy, tell Sheldon to clean out his sink better when he gets home. He left all his whiskers in the sink.' So I think it helped in the long-run. I agree, you are very hygienic, but Penny is not observant in those ways as you are."

Sheldon smiled, he was glad she managed to pull of the charade. "How about if I have us stop and pick up take-out so you don't have to cook?"

"Sounds wonderful right now; I had Penny come over to the house after I picked her up around noon and it was a very tiring four hours."

"Good, I'll stop by and pick up Thai. Is that okay?"

"Sure."

"Did you and Penny talk about her drinking issue at all?"

"Just briefly. She actually slept a good amount. I think the pain meds make her sleepy" Amy replied.

"I hope she will enter a program to help her overcome her drinking habits" Sheldon commented.

"Yes, I agree. I told her that I have made a commitment to drink far less as well. I feel that this was a lesson that I wanted to take heed of, besides I know you don't care for alcohol either" Amy remarked.

"Good. I am glad to hear you wised up" Sheldon agreed with her decision.

"Sheldon, should we attempt to Christmas shop since we didn't get a chance last night?" Amy asked.

"You know. That isn't a bad idea. I suppose instead of take-out we could just eat inside and then go from here?" Sheldon said as he pulled Amy's car into the lot of the Thai restaurant.

"I agree. Let's just quickly eat here and then head to the mall. I want to buy presents tonight that I can send to Texas. If we only get that done alone, it will be a big accomplishment. Do you think I should send something to my grandfather in Scotland?" Amy asked.

"I suppose it would be a nice gesture, but I have no idea what he might like."

"Hmmm….I don't know his tastes at all. Perhaps we could have a professional photo made and framed?"

"I don't know if we would get it back in time from here, but we can ask. He would probably appreciate that more than just about anything else" Sheldon agreed to the concept. "Let's see if they can do it in time to get sent overseas in time and if not, let's look at alternative ways to get him a picture" Sheldon suggested.

With that the couple went into the Thai restaurant where they surprisingly ran into Howard and Bernadette.

"Sheldon, Amy, over here!" Bernie called out. They walked over to Howard and Bernie's table. "Sit down and join us, we haven't ordered yet. We just got seated."

"Howard, Bernadette" Amy said as she pulled out a chair and sat down. "How are you two doing?"

"Great. Howie had to speak with the Space Station astronauts again today via Skype and helped them fix a problem" Bernie said while smiling at Howard and rubbing his nose with hers. "He is so smart."

Sheldon thought he was going to be ill listening to her saccharine. "Well I had some news that I received yesterday" Sheldon decided to tell them about his Nobel Prize. He looked over at Amy to see if she could read his mind. She smiled and nodded so he proceeded. "It seems, by an amusing set of circumstances, that a journal of mine that I wrote when I was nine years old, not only managed to be published based on Missy's whim to submit it to a book publisher, but it ended up a Best Seller for the last seven years."

"That is wonderful!" Bernadette piped up.

Sheldon put up his hand to indicate he was not finished. "And, it seems that the book somehow was submitted or solicited, it is unclear how really, but ended up in the hands of the Nobel Prize Committee on Literature. It seems, I was awarded a Nobel Prize in Literature" Sheldon said, not terribly condescendingly as normal because he still was embarrassed that it was in the Arts.

"Oh my God, really?" Howard looked at him in disbelief. "So you are telling me you wrote something when you were nine and it not only got published, but that a Nobel Prize has been awarded to you on that piece of work?"

"Yes, Sheldon has always been brilliant and it seems he was unaware of his gift in the written word. Of course we all know how he is brilliant as a Theoretical Physicist, but his creative side also is brilliant" Amy beamed.

"Congratulations, Sheldon. That is quite an acknowledgement" Bernadette said picking up her water glass and pointing to Howard to do the same. The four of them toasted, using their water glasses.

"Thank you. I really wasn't sure whether to accept it or not, but Amy, in her infinite wisdom persuaded me to accept. She and I will be heading to Norway this Spring so that I can accept the award."

"Amy was awarded a new grant study on addictions, and got a new cover article published in Neurosciences Journal…..and she was named Neurobiologist of the Year" Sheldon interrupted.

Bernadette jumped out of her chair and ran over to Amy and hugged her "Congratulations, Amy. That is a huge, huge acknowledgement of your accomplishments and shows faith in your future in the field."

"Congratulations to both of you" Howard said. He was feeling a little out of sorts and a bit jealous. He realized his limelight at Cal Tech would diminish soon, especially if Sheldon ever actually won a Nobel Prize in Physics.

The two couples spent dinner enjoying laughter, good conversation and good food. "We are on our way to the mall to do some shopping. Want to join us?" Amy asked.

"We would, but my mother wants us to come over and light Hanukah candles tonight. It is the first night," Howard spoke up.

"Indeed it is the first night" Sheldon agreed. "Well perhaps another time. It was nice to run into both of you and enjoy a nice meal together."

"I agree. Let's do it again soon," Amy suggested.

The couples paid their checks and said goodnight and went their separate ways. Amy and Sheldon head to the mall where they spent the rest of the evening shopping before heading home for a couple of quiet hours before bed.

Once home from the mall, Sheldon reminded Amy of their earlier conversation, "Shall we initiate the room I am supposed to be sleeping in?"

"Oh you are so wicked" Amy's eyes were twinkling with delight. "Yes, let's do it." Checking all the doors and going through their nightly routines upstairs first, they immediately, taking condoms back down with them, ran to the pretend-Sheldon bedroom. Needless to say the room got at least a couple of initiations before they drifted off to sleep.


	31. Chapter 31: Sexy House Cleaning

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The next morning, Sheldon woke and turned and smiled, looking around at the disheveled bed and clothes strewn about the room. He thought about how awesome their lovemaking was and how happy Amy made him. Amy stirred and turned to him, rubbing sleep from her eyes, "Morning, Stud" she said. She smiled wide at him, getting a little thrill out of remembering their night before. "I guess we can call this room initiated?"

"Yes, I think we can cross it off our lists of rooms now. In a way, you made this my room, I think" Sheldon teased.

"True, you still have clothes hanging in the closet and in the drawers, but you also have your wife in the bed next to you…don't forget that!" she nudged him as she taunted.

"But don't forget, our real room is upstairs. I don't want to be kicked out and make this my permanent room" Sheldon started to get a little nervous.

"No worries, Plaything. I decided to keep this stuff here because it will be easier to keep up the charade. You can swap out stuff if you need any of these throughout the week, but I want to make sure we always have stuff down here to appear that you have been using the room. I never know when we might have someone pop over unexpectedly and it just makes it easier" Amy reasoned.

"I concur. We can trade off rooms…so this also has a more lived in feel with the bedding," Sheldon teased, wiggling his eyebrows up and down. "I sort of like this room as an alternative for us. It makes me feel frisky knowing we have "getaway rooms" in our house.

Amy loved it when Sheldon was so flirty. She leaned over and kissed him passionately. He started to fool around, squeezing her breasts when she pulled away and said put up her hand her index finger extended and wiggled it back and forth and said "no-no….Be right back, stay right here" she winked as she moved from the room.

Sheldon was intrigued. _What is that vixen up to now_?

Amy snuck off to the kitchen and found an apron. She put the apron over her nude body and ran up the stairs to her master suite and found her five inch stiletto heels and put them on. She then went back downstairs…heading to the laundry room where there was a utility/broom closet and pulled out rubber gloves that were on the shelf, and a mop. She then in a very slinky, sexy fashion entered the pretend-Sheldon bedroom.

"Guess what we are doing today" she said, posing quite provocatively. She then moved the mop forward and leaned over slightly to show enough cleavage. She stood sort of Marilyn Monroe style then bent over to give him a wiggling but to taunt him further.

"Initiating the kitchen?" Sheldon said with enthusiasm, thinking about hot sex on the kitchen counter, even if he would have to disinfect like crazy after.

"Wrong-o" Amy said as she straightened back up" and pushed the mop forward in his face. "Today is cleaning day. We haven't really given this place a complete overhaul weekly cleaning since we moved in. So guess what? That is what we are going to do. " She then walked over and untied the top part of her apron leaving her bare breasts exposed and took off a glove and leaned over, outlining his jawline and cheek she continued "If you are a really, really good boy, we might take a break and initiate another room."

Sheldon was beyond aroused. He wanted her and wanted her then and now. He grabbed the mop from her hand and tossed it out through the open doorway into the hall. Just as quickly, before Amy had a chance to react to his jerking the mop from her hand, grabbed her, tossed her onto the bed and ravaged her. She began to giggle, but her arousal began to overcome her and she caved into to the passion. Nearly two hours later, they were still lounging in bed before Amy noticed that the day was passing and their task at hand still needed to be done.

"Plaything? Time to be serious! We really do need to clean the house" Amy sat up and looked at the room they were in and realized all the covers had since fallen onto the floor, it was a disaster. Climbing out of bed and over all the mess, she ran up the stairs.

Sheldon followed her up the stairs, smacking her butt as she ran in front of him. "I like you in an apron and stilletos, but neither lasted very long on you" he joshed.

"Clean the house with me and perhaps I might do an encore performance" she bribed.

Both tossed on clothes without showering, deciding they could wait and shower after cleaning. Amy found a sweats outfit and threw her hair up in a pony-tail. Sheldon threw on his "cleaning pants" and T-shirt. Both of their outfits would be washed with the rest of the dirty laundry once the house had been completed.

Dusting, scrubbing, vacuuming, oiling, waxing, polishing, the duo had the house spic and span, shining and sparkling within five hours. They were exhausted. The only thing left was to take the stripped off bedding from the guest room, as well as dirty clothing, and to strip off the master room bedding to wash. Both decided to shower and then do that.

Showering together, they shared another passionate encounter, using what little energy they had left from the home cleaning. Washing themselves after, they finally dried off and put on clean clothing. They quickly stripped down the master bed and took all dirty laundry down to the laundry room and separated things into piles. They got a load going. "Did I leave my stilettos in "your room?" she asked using hand quotes.

"I think so. Let's grab them on our way back upstairs" Sheldon suggested.

Heading back upstairs after grabbing her heels, they put on fresh sheets on the master bed. They remade the bed and then went to lie down together in front of the fireplace and just rest. Sheldon had started the fire before he sat down beside her and then lay next to her. He took his fingers and outlined her cheek, jaw, touched her nose and then leaned in and kissed the tip of her nose. "Do you know how much I love you?"

"Probably not as much as I love you, but I am always ready to hear it" Amy grinned.

Sheldon leaned in and gave her a passionate kiss. He then pulled away and lay back down next to her.  
"Woman, you wear me out sometimes. But I am not complaining. If had to be worn out, I can't think of a better way" Sheldon admitted.

"I know what you mean. You wear me out…well and house cleaning…but I would not have it any other way." She snuggled closer to Sheldon who pulled her into a cuddle, after grabbing the blanket on the couch and placing it over them. The two took a nice needed nap. It was around 6 PM when they woke back up, stomachs warning them that they had neglected food all day.

"I think Mr. Stomach here wants to eat" Sheldon informed Amy, grinning.

"Yes, I think he does as well, listening to that roar coming from him" she teased back. Both sat up and decided to go out. "Do you want us to see if Howard and Bernie can meet us for pizza?" Amy asked.

"Yeah, I guess that would be nice. Maybe we could stop over at Leonard's after and see how Penny is doing, as I am sure you are curious" he said as he took his index finger and touched the tip of her nose.

"Yes, I would like that, but you know, we still haven't gotten all the presents for Texas" Amy worried that she would not get them to his family in time.

"I have an idea. What if we were to buy presents here, but then fly back and have Christmas with my family?" Sheldon suggested.

"Hmmm….well it would certainly help me avoid having to deal with awkward reasons I cannot see mine this time around. But, we also would have to play like we are still unmarried" Amy reminded him.

"Drats. Well, I guess we could do like last time and have our daily escape place to enjoy our marital status without the family knowing" Sheldon winked as he offered up a solution.

"Oh yes, I forgot we did that last time. I like that idea" Amy enthused. "Will your mother mind us coming?"

"No, she will be happy we are coming, I believe."

With that Sheldon pulled out his phone and called his mother.

"Shelly? Is that you? Is everything all right?" Mary answered.

"Hello Mom. Yes, everything is just fine," Sheldon replied.

"Well if this isn't a nice surprise. So how have you been? How are things going at the house? You aren't sinnin' are you?"

"No Mom, I am not sinnin'. As you know, Amy's family situation is still a bit dicey right now and we were wondering if you would mind a couple of extra mouths to feed at Christmas?" Sheldon had such an odd way of putting things at times.

"Are you sayin' you and Amy want to come here for Christmas?" Mary was nearly jumping up and down at the prospect.

"Yes, if you would not mind. We thought it would be nice to see you, Mee-Maw, and everyone else… and it would help Amy avoid a possible invitation locally from her family" Sheldon explained.

"Why, of course you and Amy are welcome. I am so excited. So when will you arrive and how long will you stay?" Mary asked.

"I will call you later with details. We just wanted to first check if it would be a problem. We have not worked out logistics and work agenda yet so let me call you on Monday with details" Sheldon admitted.

"That sounds great. I am so excited you will be here. Georgie has to go to Alabama with his latest wife to her family so he won't be around and I was thinkin' it was going to be a boring time, but you two just saved Christmas for me" Mary enthused.

"Good, well I have to run off to grab dinner. Amy sends her love to all. Give Mee-Maw a kiss from me" Sheldon said and disconnected the call. "As you probably could tell, she is delighted and thinks we saved Christmas for her by coming. Maybe we should coordinate schedules tomorrow and figure out flights and where we will have our getaway place. I suggest a different place so they won't try looking us up where we last stayed."

Amy nodded in agreement. "Yes, I agree. Let me call Bernie and see if they want to meet us for pizza." Amy rang through to Bernadette.

"Hi Ames, what's up?"

"Have you and Howard eaten yet?"

"No, we were just thinking that we might go out since Howard's mother is not expecting us this evening and well, we just haven't had any time to shop and don't have much in the apartment" Bernie admitted.

"Would you like to meet us for pizza?"

"Sure, what time?"

"Say in 20 minutes?"

"Sounds good. See you then."

After disconnecting the call Amy said "they will be there in 20 minutes. I need to move the laundry loads forward and then we can be on our way."

Amy head down the stairs, with Sheldon right behind her. She immediately went to the laundry room. Sheldon went into his faux room and pulled out sheets from the drawers and re-made that bed while Amy did laundry load switches. While Sheldon was making up the bed, he had an idea. He picked his phone out of his pocket and called Howard.

"Hey Sheldon, we are just about to leave. We should be there soon" Howard answered.

"I had a better idea. Why don't you swing by and pick up the pizza and come over here. We could play games downstairs after we eat and let our women have their own hen party" Sheldon suggested.

"You are on. I have been hoping to get over there again to play more games."

"I will call Leonard and see if he and Penny might be able to join us, as well as Raj to see if he wants to come. Get extra pizza just in case" Sheldon suggested.

"I am liking this get together more and more" Howard enthused.

"Okay, I will pay you back when you get here. See you soon" Sheldon disconnected and then called Leonard.

"Hey Buddy, what's up?"

"Well, is Penny feeling well enough to perhaps have the two of you come over for a visit?" Sheldon asked.

"Actually she is pretty well rested and just got up not that long ago. She should be in great shape to visit. What's the occasion?"

"Nothing, I just thought we could play some games downstairs and the girls could have their hen party together" Sheldon explained. "Wolowitz is picking up pizza for all of us."

"Okay, well we would love to come. It may take me a bit longer because I have to get Penny downstairs, but we will be there," Leonard assured.

Disconnecting with Leonard, Sheldon made his final call to Raj.

"Dude, what's up?"

"I wanted to know if you, or you and Alex if you wish, would like to come over tonight for pizza and games. The girls can do whatever they want together while we men have some fun downstairs" Sheldon inquired.

"Sure, I will be there soon. I will check with Alex on my way there to see if she can come as well and pick her up on the way" Raj committed.

Sheldon disconnected and then had to break the news to Amy. He head to the kitchen and saw her hanging up more delicate things to dry, still sorting through the items she had put in the dryer. She finally shut the dryer door and turned it on to do a spin. She then turned the washer on, loading it with soap and tossed in another load.

"Beautiful, I made a change of plans. I hope you don't mind" Sheldon timidly approached the subject.

"What do you mean? Are we not meeting Howard and Bernadette after all?" Amy was confused.

"Well, yes and no. I asked everyone over here instead" Sheldon shyly admitted. He felt a bit guilty he had made the change without informing her first.

"Really? I guess that would be more fun in a way. That way we can relax, kick our shoes off and just enjoy ourselves. I am assuming you had a night of games in mind for you and the boys" Amy knew the answer before he even said anything.

"If it wouldn't offend you, yes" Sheldon admitted.

"That's okay. We can have our own girl's night" Amy said. "Of course we won't have men to dance with this time…unless….maybe I can talk the girls into going to the club" Amy teased.

"Don't you dare, you are now a married woman and my woman at that… so that means no more dancing with strange men" Sheldon mockingly flared up. He knew Amy was teasing him, but he still played along.

"That's my husband. It is exactly what I wanted to hear and expected from him" Amy said as she patted his cheek. "Well we definitely have plenty we can talk about" Amy admitted. She turned to the cupboards and began to pull out plate, glasses, napkins, and then opened drawers and brought out flatware. She took them to the dining room and set the table.

"You want to use the dining room? For pizza?" Sheldon was surprised.

"It's the only place on this floor where we have enough chairs for everyone and a table top to use so we don't have pizza sauce end up on the floor" Amy shrugged. "Plus, we haven't used it yet, so why not?"

"I guess you are right. Okay then" and he helped her set the remaining places on the table. They admired their work when done and felt so domestic as a result. Leaning her back and head into Sheldon the two of them stood and stared at their work, pleased with the result.

"Sheldon, do we have any evidence…you know…condom wrappers or used condoms we need to dispose of?" Amy suddenly asked with panic across her face.

Sheldon ran to his faux room and made sure there wasn't evidence there. Then he remembered he had disposed of the things when cleaning the house earlier. They were in their outdoors trash bins. Amy had run upstairs to look around as well. Sheldon came up and said "I already disposed of all of them earlier when we cleaned house. They are in the outside bin."

"Whew!" Amy said, holding her chest with her hand. "I am glad. Is there anything else that might make them suspicious?"

"No we pretty much are okay. We left the faux room always set up to appear I am there, as well as the downstairs bath. Oh wait, let me move my toothbrush back down. I only brought it up. The rest of the things are down there" Sheldon admitted. Grabbing his toothbrush he took it back down and placed it in the medicine cabinet in the Jack 'n Jill bath. He then moved to the living room fireplace and started a fire.

"Do you want me to bring down some snacks and have them set out for your game marathon?" Amy offered.

"You don't have to, but that would be nice, "Sheldon agreed.

Amy went back into the kitchen and pulled down a tray and placed pretzels in a bowl, chips in another bowl, popcorn in a bowl, red vines, junior mints, and…because the boys never eat healthy…she added some fresh fruit in a bowl of orange slices, water melon slices, cantaloupe slices, pineapple slices, and apple slices, tossing in some strawberries for color. She also added a chocolate dip on the tray for the fruit. "Sheldon, can you come take this tray down? It is a little heavier than I expected once I got all the bowls and things on it" Amy yelled to him. He came into the kitchen and took the tray, heading downstairs.

Amy then took a second tray out and placed a very large bowl that she filled with ice and placed on ice water bottles and soda cans. She then ran down and asked Sheldon to bring that tray down and she looked at the room adjusting things so that everything was stylishly displayed.

The Wolowitz' were the first to arrive. "Hey, Amy…where would you like these?" Howard said as Amy answered the door. She pointed him toward the kitchen while she hung up his jacket and Bernadette's coat. The two girls gave each other a hug and followed back to the kitchen.

"Want to help me put these on serving trays?" Amy asked Bernadette. "Howard, I think Sheldon is downstairs, if you want to help him determine what to choose to play." Howard head down while the girls lay out the pizzas on serving trays and set them on the table.

Raj arrived alone. "Alex had to attend some function with her parents tonight and couldn't join us. She said she would call in a while to see if everyone is still around and may drop by."

"Head on downstairs. Howard and Sheldon are down there" Amy pointed.

"Are Leonard and Penny coming?" Bernadette asked Amy.

"Sheldon said they were, but it may take them a while to get down the stairs. I guess they will be here soon," Amy replied.

"Her ribs have been really painful, huh?" Bernadette asked.

"Yeah, they are giving her more trouble, I think, than her broken ankle. At least it is in a boot and tolerable. Would you like some hot chocolate? I have candy canes we can use to stir them with and pick up some of the peppermint taste," Amy offered.

"Sounds delicious. Anything I can do to help?"

"Sure, the candy canes are in boxes in the pantry there. Why don't you pull out a box for me and open it and unwrap 3-4 canes," Amy pointed to the pantry.

"So how are things going, now that you are in this house?" Bernie asked.

"Well, Sheldon and I shared cleaning duty today. I must admit it takes a LOT longer to clean a house this big than a small apartment" Amy shrugged, "but it is worth it." Amy smiled thinking about the little tryst she and Sheldon shared before they cleaned the house.

"Well it is spotless, you would never know anyone lived in here the way you two keep it. Howie and I are starting to look at buying a townhouse. We felt a house would be too big of an upkeep for us at this time with our demanding careers, plus Howie is allergic to grass so doing lawn work wouldn't be ideal for him" Bernie started.

"How exciting for you. Where are you looking?" Amy asked.

"Pasadena, but prices are pretty high. We did find a unit we liked, but Howie is concerned about his Mom. Even though it is close to her, he was hoping to find something like a duplex and convince her to buy the other unit. I really wish he could wean himself from her. However, it will break her heart if he left and I don't want that either" Bernadette said.

"Is that even a possibility? Are there duplexes you have found that you would consider?" Amy was surprised that Bernie was so willing to let Howard's mother live so close to them. She loved Mama Mary, but not if it meant she would be in their lives all the time.

"I have seen a few that I would possibly consider, but I definitely would want to see them inside and up close. Looking online at photos, you find they don't always look as good as what is in the photos," Bernie shrugged.

The doorbell rang and Amy went to answer. "Hey Ames, sorry we're late" Leonard greeted, Penny leaning on him. Amy reached out to help Leonard bring Penny inside. "Hey you two, I am so glad you could come. I know it is a chore, but I was really hoping my Bestie could join us." She helped Penny with her coat and hung it up, while bringing her to the dining room and letting her go ahead and sit down.

"Dinner's ready" Amy yelled so the guys would come up. Bernie sat down and joined Penny at the table. The thunder of men running up the stairs at the same time could be heard and suddenly the dining room was filled with the gang, all gathered around the table. Everyone dug in and began to eat.

After dinner, the boys retreated to play games downstairs. Amy made the hot cocoas with candy canes for the girls and they sat in front of the fire and just visited. Penny was delighted to be out of the house and looked the best she had looked in a long time.

"Bestie, how are you doing….I mean…really doing?" Amy asked.

"You know…now that I have not had wine or booze for a while, I am doing good" Penny replied. "I thought it would be worse than it is to try and get over alcohol, but I am feeling pretty good. Leonard still wants me going to rehab classes, but I am not sure I need them" Penny replied.

"They couldn't hurt and…you know…you might find that you have a lot in common with those in the classes and can relate to why you started drinking so much in the first place" Bernie offered.

"Yes, Penny. I agree. I think that sometimes we think we are over something and then it creeps back to haunt us again. It would be good to go and try and learn how to avoid getting into those situations" Amy suggested.

Penny shrugged "I guess. I just am never good with school…you know? I guess I think of going to classes is going to school."

"Oh, Penny, they are nothing like going to school. It is more like sitting around talking…like we are doing here and now" Bernadette encouraged.

"Really? So they don't make you read books and take tests and stuff?" Penny asked.

"No. It is like therapy, just talking and relating and sharing" Amy replied.

The girls felt like old times with girls' night out and had a blast. Same with the boys…they enjoyed game night and felt it was similar to when they used to play before they ever met the women in their lives. Bernadette helped Amy clean up the dining room and kitchen and then they returned to play Christmas carols on the sound system and enjoy more cocoa, the warm fire, and each other's company.

After everyone left, Sheldon and Amy were exhausted. They had a very full day and could not wait to turn out all the lights and head upstairs to bed.


	32. Chapter 32: Sheldon's Christmas Present

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: A fair amount of smut in this chapter. Enjoy for those who love smut!_

Sheldon and Amy spent the next couple of weeks shopping like crazy for Christmas and had exchanged gifts with their friends in town. Amy had gifts for Winston and Jane sent to their house direct from where she ordered them so that she could avoid having to see them face to face. In her Christmas card to them, she explained that she was flying to Texas for Christmas and that she would speak with them when she returned and wished them a Happy Christmas. She also had sent Angus a picture of she and Sheldon that was framed and had it shipped so that he would receive it in time for Christmas.

It was the evening before they were going to be flying to Texas. The next day, they had an early afternoon flight. Sheldon was due home in about an hour, so Amy made sure to have fondue ready. She wanted the night to be simply tapas and fondue type of eating in front of the fireplace. Her plan was that when he came home, she was going to let him "unwrap" his present. She was glad they no longer had to use condoms because her implant was now fully in effect. She had just come off of a menses cycle and so they were good to go, condom-free.

She closed the drapes in the living room, which normally were left open in the evenings so the tree would be visible. But her plans included more privacy this time. She then ran upstairs and showered, then very lightly put on a special spicy perfume, plus deodorant. She found the stiletto heels that Sheldon loved and pulled them out of the closet and the "outfit" she planned to wear. It took her a little bit of time to get everything working properly, but once she did, she looked in the mirror. She then placed her tiara on top of her head. She put on special make-up to give her more dramatic eyes, yet not overly made up to run and get nasty, and color in her cheeks, and just a glimmer of color on her lips that was mainly gloss. She viewed her image in the mirror and was pleased. Over her breasts were two medium sized bows that would normally go on Christmas packages. They covered her nipples and she had taken just a small red ribbon that connected them and almost looked as if a bra to ensure they remained in place. Over her lady part below she created a home-made "g-string" of red ribbon that went around her and held a larger bow over her private area. She had on her tiara, and her black stiletto heels. She threw on a robe over her to get down the stairs.

Going in the kitchen she brought out two champagne glasses and filled them with sparkling cranberry juice, putting a fresh couple of cranberries in the glasses for whimsy. She brought those out and placed them on the coffee table. Earlier that day she had re-arranged furnishings so that they could sit and eat together and feed each other from the coffee table while being on the soft rug in front of the fireplace in the living room. Returning to the kitchen, Amy brought out a chaffing dish carrying warm tapas, which she lit right away to keep them warm. She then went back and brought a tray of various fruits, marshmallows, and angel food cake to dip into the fondue, which was a rich deep chocolate dipping sauce. Once everything was set, she looked at her watch and knew that Sheldon would be pulling up any minute. She heard the gate open and immediately took off her robe, and positioned herself as she had planned, the tree hiding almost all of her, but one of her long lean legs in the stiletto heel coming out from the tree in a seductive pose.

Sheldon opened the door and locked it behind him. Tossing his bag in the office, he removed his jacket and hung it up. He could smell the food and looked and noticed that the table was set in the living room. He hadn't looked at the tree quite yet so called out "Amy?"

Amy used a remote control she had placed on the window sill near the tree and some soft Christmas music came on, more R&B style. She then, bent her knee up and extended her leg out, following the rhythm of the music. She quietly, remained behind the tree and in a very sultry voice said "Sheldon, have you been naughty or nice this year?"

Sheldon swallowed and immediately started becoming aroused "Ummm….it depends on what Santa wants me to be, but I think nice?"

"Oh that is too bad, because Santa thinks that naughty was the right answer…in fact the naughtier the better" Amy teased in her sexy voice.

"Oh well I guess I lied so that makes me even naughtier, Santa" Sheldon tried to recover.

"Well Santa feels because you were naughty, you can open your present early. Are you ready to receive your present?"

"Oh yeah, I am most definitely ready to receive my present" Sheldon said, while stripping down. He knew this was going to lead to something very, very naughty indeed.

"Then please sit down and be ready for your dinner. Your present will be opened and then you will be served many delectables" Amy continued in her sultry voice.

Amy then came out from behind the tree, again following the sultry moves of the music, swiveling her hips and shaking her boobs and giving Sheldon quite a show. He had never seen anything so erotic in his life. Sure he had seen strippers from the stupid things his friends forced him into, but they were not at all interesting to him. Only his wife could get away with such behavior and make him be so aroused. She came over and began to dance over him, taking her heel and putting it on his stomach lightly pushing him to lie down, seductively.

"Oh Beautiful, you are HOT tonight. So dirty….dirty, dirty, dirty…and my naughty, naughty, naughty self likes" Sheldon teased. He took his hands and took her foot to remove her heel and then started moving up her leg with his hands. She then bent over and knelt over him, giving him an equivalent of a lap dance only over his crotch. She still had on one heel so she used her other foot to help loosen it and kicked it off of her other foot. It went flying, landing out in the foyer. She continued gyrating, dancing with her hands moving up and down her body seductively, above him and he moved his hands up her thighs. One hand moved up her waist and up along her ribs up to her breasts and started fondling her. The other hand began to search under the bow cover her private area and fingered her. She moaned leaning back and he pleasured her. He sat up enough that he could suck on one of her breasts while playing with the other one and still finger her. Amy was loving it.

After a few minutes of enjoying his pleasuring her, she began to rub herself over his erection and played with his chest, kissing his nipples and fondling them with her tongue. She then moved her mouth up to his lips and kissed him passionately while she moved to position herself to let him enter her. Moving rhythmically together, it was so hot and passionate. Sheldon was so ready to release, but suddenly Amy withdrew. She turned around and knelt on all fours and turned back giving him a nod. Sheldon then entered her from behind and thrust into her deeper and deeper, fondling her nipples with one free hand while he hung on to her waist near buttocks with his other hand. She reached back and fondled his scrotum at the same time. The two were beyond the point of no return when they released, screaming out from the pleasure.

After controlling their breaths, Sheldon withdrew from her and she turned around and lay down next to him. "That was….that was….Oh, I have to catch my breath….That was incredible" Sheldon said, trying to catch his breath. "I like my present…no…I love my present…and I will be naughty every year if I can have that for my present." He removed her tiara because it was scratching him, and then kissed the crown of her head as he pulled her next to him. He continued to lightly fondle her breasts as they lay there. He loved every molecule that made up Amy Farrah Fowler-Cooper.

After they lay there, completely nude for a while, Amy finally looked up at the food and said, "Are you hungry? What would you like me to feed you?"

Sheldon looked up at the food and pointed to a couple of things. Amy then started to feed him. He found this experience very sensual. While he ate, he would fondle her breasts, and rub her thighs. He just could not get enough of her. He would nibble on her ear, in between bites and kiss her passionately. He knew that an encore was definitely coming shortly. They continued to feed each other and lick chocolate drippings off of each other that happened to get on them from the fondue.

Needless to say, not only one encore but two encores occurred before the meal was completed. Sheldon was in pure rapture from the entire experience. Amy felt it was exhilarating to have such a powerful reaction from her husband. It made her feel sexy and wanted and loved. One of the encores led to them running around the main floor of the house a little, chasing each other so that they could do little naughty things all over the main floor. Sheldon loved it. He would finger her in one room, suck on her breasts in other rooms, taste her in other rooms, and boy it just continued like that for a couple of hours easily.

By the time bedtime rolled around, they were tired and exhausted from all the sexual activity. Amy had wanted to make sure he was good and stored up because in Texas she was not sure how much they would be able to sneak off.

"Plaything, I think before we head to bead, we need to pack for the trip." Amy finally realized that she had forgotten they needed to pack.

"Good idea, but can we…um…I just like looking at you like this…do you mind…if we don't dress, but just pack? He asked shyly.

"Whatever you want, Plaything….whatever you want. Can you bring up those packages" she had separated out the gifts that had to be packed and pointed to the pile that had to be brought up. He also added the gift from her grandfather and his gift to her to the pile. He wanted to make sure she got both gifts. He almost felt like his gift was pale in comparison to what she just gave him.

She grabbed her stilettos and robe. She picked up the bows that had been ripped off of her during their escapades and took them out to the kitchen trash bin and tossed them. Then, putting on her stilettos, she walked up the stairs in front of Sheldon.

"Woman, if you want these boxes to get up the stairs without incident, I suggest you remove those heels. They are doing something to me that won't allow me to make it up the stairs without having a little stair sex" Sheldon teased.

Amy , turned around on a stair, and put one of her heels on his thigh that was precariously on one step while steadying himself with his planted foot on the step below him.

"You don't like my shoes?" Amy teased with a pout.

"No that isn't it at all, I like them a little too much" he replied.

Amy eyed him up and down and could see he was beginning to have another erection and reached out and touched him briefly and said, "Well, I suppose while we are packing we might just have to take care of any last minute business."

With that she ran up before him and laid on the bed, one leg crossed over the other with her foot sticking out, teasing him yet again. He really didn't know what he was going to do with such a vixen. You would think three times in a row downstairs would have been enough, but somehow she managed to constantly reenergize him for more encores. He sat down the boxes and immediately ran to the bed. He was about to climb over her, but she took one of her heels and pushed him back with the ball part of the shoe sole. "Not so fast, Dr. Cooper, I want you to pack what lingerie of mine you intend I should take for our trip" she teased. "You won't be allowed on this bed until you show me exactly what you want me wearing and I see you toss it in the suitcase."

Sheldon immediately went through her lingerie draw and selected the outfits that got his motor running and immediately began to show her piece by piece before folding it and placing in the suitcase. Once he had enough for each day packed, he started toward the bed. But before he got there, she took her shoe and again, pushed him back and said, "now I want you to model for me some of your sexier underwear that you are going to pack"

"But, I am rather gross from our earlier escapades" Sheldon whined.

"Would Dr. Cooper like for Dr. Fowler-Cooper to wash him clean so he can model?" She taunted.

"Ummm…yes, I think so" Sheldon answered.

"All right, step into the shower" Amy commanded.

Sheldon stepped into the shower and Amy only turned on the hand-shower unit and asked him to move over closer to it. She stepped inside, stilettos still on, and took soap and began to massage his private parts clean, tenderly and lovingly washing him. It was very sensual, yet not necessarily sexual. It felt wonderful to Sheldon though. She rinsed him off. She washed her lady part right after, and rinsed. Grabbing a towel dried herself off and reached for a second towel and began to dry him off, as she did, moving down his legs, her tongue began to play with his head, and she began to stimulate his penis into a full erection again. She then, when standing in the doorway, put one of her legs up high with her heel up near the door jam. "You can only pass by paying the toll" she teased.

Sheldon took his fingers and began to penetrate her with one hand and fondle her breasts with his other hand. Kissing her neck, he said in between kissing "Is this the toll?"

Amy moaned and her head moved backward as he moved from kissing her neck to her breasts. "Ummm…yes, the toll has been paid" she snapped her neck back into place and moved his hand to withdraw from her and put her foot down. "Now model" she said, back in control.

Sheldon went to his drawers and pulled out some of the sexier briefs that she had bought him. She also had bought him some sexier boxers. So he pulled out what he thought she might like and began to model each one, his erection creating a very sensual bulge in each pair or completely poking through the boxers.

"Okay, I approve, pack those now" Amy ordered. He packed them in the suitcase and as he added the last one, she said "Now, pack your clothing, but make sure you do not cover any part of you while you do so. I want to enjoy the view" she commanded.

Sheldon picked out what clothes he planned to take on the trip and packed them nicely. "Now my clothes…pick out what you want me to wear while there and pack them" Amy drilled.

Sheldon then went through her clothes and packed all of his favorites of her clothing. Once they were all packed, she said "Now add the boxes."

He added the boxes and then closed the suitcase. There was no more room for anything else. "There isn't room for anything else. We will have to use a separate box for shoes and toiletries" Sheldon reported.

"Fine, get the next suitcase and pull out the shoes you plan to wear and what shoes you want me to wear." Sheldon first went over and pulled off the shoes on her feet and wanted to pack them. Luckily they were not that wet from the shower. Amy had managed to stand in such ways to keep water off of them. He then went to the closet and pulled out a few other pairs of her shoes and his shoes.

"Now did you remember night clothes?" Amy asked. Sheldon realized he had not included night clothes in the last suitcase, but there was a zipper on the front of the other suitcase that he could pack them in. So he went and brought out night clothes for the two of them and managed to get them into the zipper area, although they were mighty tight.

"Leave that suitcase open and move it over to the side over here." Amy pointed across the room "We will add toiletries in the morning since we will still need to use them."

Once the packing was complete, Sheldon was finally able to join his bride and finish what she had started in him. Their fourth love-making escapade left him completely spent. Both of them turned out the lights and cuddled, wishing the night had not had to end.

The following morning they both were a bit sore from so much sex. They had spent over seven hours of passionate love making on and off, more on than off. So needless to say, a price had to be paid.

They showered and finished morning ablutions. Dressing and heading downstairs, they made breakfast and cleaned up their morning dishes. Amy then went into the living room and brought in all the stuff they had not cleaned up from the night before. She moved everything back in place, opened the drapes again and returned the room back to order.

"Amy, I still can't get my mind off of how hot you looked last night" Sheldon said as he pulled her into a hug and kissed the crown of her head. "I hope we can find enough time away to be together while in Texas."

"We will find time. I don't think I could go too many days without you. Now that we can freely make love, it is hard to be forced to go back to being single" Amy admitted. "You know Sheldon, we can't go anywhere where they may ask for my ID."

"Why is that?" Sheldon wasn't sure why that should make a difference.

"Because, I got my license changed into my married name to match the passport, which by the way, came yesterday. I think it could lead to someone noticing if we have to show my ID in front of them" Amy grew concerned. She had forgotten about that little detail. She had made sure to have the passport with her while they traveled so that anyone watching the house would not find it.

"Well, we won't be going to bars, so we should be okay. I will be paying with my credit card for things so they won't see your ID for any of that. The only place they could possibly see it, if at all, is if they go through your purse, which they should never be doing, or if they go with us when we check-in at the airport when we return. Since we are renting a car, that shouldn't be an issue," Sheldon reassured.

"Okay, good. I am getting excited. Later today we will be back there and we will have a real family Christmas" Amy enthused. "I can't wait to see everyone again."

"I am actually rather excited as well. The only hard part will be at night knowing I can't sleep with you next to me again while there" Sheldon lamented.

"I know. And your mother has your Vulcan hearing so we can't even sneak around easily" Amy said.

"Yes, I know. It is a good thing I am a bit sore today from all of our together time yesterday because otherwise I would be having a hard time not wanting to take you in the bathroom on the plane" Sheldon revealed.

Amy giggled. "It is so funny seeing you such a horn dog compared to two years ago when I couldn't even get you to hold my hand."

"Don't remind me. I can't believe how uptight I was all the time. I really thought repressing my baser urges would make me more brilliant, but I have had greater success since I have been married to you than I ever had before. Rather silly of me." He leaned over and kissed her and then said "Thank you. You saved my career and my life. You have made me a better person all the way around."

"You always have been the same good person, Sheldon. You just needed to believe it yourself. I just loved you, hoping you would see what I saw in you. Once you started to see yourself like I do, I think you were free to finally let your full mind, heart, and soul work together which allowed you to think more freely and to realize your full potential."

"Yes, I believe you are right." He gave her another passionate kiss. After several moments of making out they finally pulled away. "Ready to have me pack up the car? We should leave in about five minutes."

Amy nodded and checked all the doors. She looked in the refrigerator to see if anything would spoil before they returned and tossed it. Then she took out all trash and put it in the bin. She had arranged for Howard to come by and put their bin out on trash pick-up day and wheel it back in the evening. He would also check the mail and bring it into the house for them while gone. They had created a special temporary alarm code for him so he could enter the house. They also left him instructions, numbers besides their cell phones, to reach them, their itinerary with flight times, and some cash to cover any trouble. Amy had made sure the afternoon before to go through and look for anything that might lead him to find out that she and Sheldon were already married, but nothing was found after her inspection.

Amy continued going through the house, grabbing her jacket and purse and Sheldon's jacket which he had left on the hanger, she then set the alarm and locked the door. She pulled her car into their garage and shut the garage door from Sheldon's SUV control. He had packed up the SUV. With that, they were off to the airport.

Arriving in Dallas, they collected their bags and then went to the car rental to get a car. Within 45 minutes they were on the road, packed up and heading toward the Cooper house. Once they arrived, everyone was waiting, just like last time, on the porch. The house Christmas lights were already lit since it was turning dusk. Before they got out of the car, Amy put her hand on Sheldon's arm with an alarmed look on her face. "Sheldon, we packed our things together instead of in separate cases. You are going to have to separate them into two separate cases."

"I will just tell them that I am taking both upstairs because we have gifts in both that I have to unpack first. Then I will do the separating in my room and bring your things back down separately. Will that work" he reassured her with his logical thinking.

"Yes, thank you." She leaned over and pecked him on the lips. "Let's do it!" They piled out of the car and were greeted, hugged and kissed by the three women.

"Sugar, you look radiant!" Missy exclaimed. "Doesn't she Mama? She looks absolutely radiant."

Amy blushed, but Mama Mary was eyeing her. It was making Amy a bit uncomfortable. She knew she had to say something. "I guess being engaged to a Nobel Prize winner brings out a glow in me. Besides, I was named Neurobiologist of the Year and well I got a new grant to chase more monkeys around the lab, but resolve some addiction problems. I will tell you that wedding planning is enough to take the glow away from someone though. I never knew so many details could drive me so crazy" she did her best to cover.

"She hasn't become a complete bridezilla, but she has had her moments. It is a good thing I can lock myself in my room with my comic books or go down in my man cave and play games" Sheldon picked up on her concern and added his two cents worth.

"Well yes, weddin' plannin' can be a royal pain" Mama Mary agreed. "Now you kids get in the house. It is cold out here and I want you to see my tree."

They went inside and the house was decorated all over the place. While homey, it was a bit over the top and Amy had a hard time stifling a giggle. There were probably over 200 Santa's around the living room alone. The tree was very old fashioned. It had homemade colored construction paper ringed strings, popcorn strings and larger colored lights. The ornaments contained a lot of the artwork ornaments from Missy, George, and Sheldon on the tree, as well some family heirloom ornaments. Crosses managed to be placed all over the tree as well. Somehow it worked, despite how uncoordinated a designer might find it. Amy loved it because it represented Sheldon's upbringing. Moving through toward the dining room, there were lots of manger scenes all over and little lambs all over as well.

Sheldon headed upstairs with the two cases and began the task he told Amy he would do…to separate out their things. He had made sure to close and lock his door as he did so.

Amy put her jacket and purse in the guest room and came back out to join the other women. "It smells wonderful."

"Mama's been bakin' all day" Missy commented.

Just as Missy had told Amy about the baking activities, Sheldon re-emerged saying "Amy, I accidentally took your bag upstairs instead of giving it to you to take to your room." He brought it down and gave it to her.

"Oh thanks. Silly me, let me go put this in the room, I will be right back." She wheeled her bag back to the guest room and began to unpack and put things away. Sheldon ran back up and brought down the presents. "I am just going to put these under the tree" he informed the women sitting in the living room.

"Moonpie, come see your Mee-Maw when you are done putting those under the tree" Mee-Maw spoke up.

He moved over to her and gave her a kiss on the cheek. "Mee-Maw, it is so good to see you. Amy and I were so excited to be able to come back and share Christmas here."

"I am so glad you both are here as well, Moonpie. So tell me about this award of yours."

Sheldon was busy relaying to Mee-Maw about how Missy got his story published and all the details as Amy entered and began to chat with Mama Mary and Missy.

"Would you like to see a picture of the gown?" Amy enthused as Mary and Missy nodded their heads quickly from excitement. Amy rolled her screen on her phone and pulled up a picture of her that was taken during one of her fittings.

"Oh Sugar, that is beautiful. Oh my, so elegant" Mama Mary said. "I saw Missy's gown, when it arrived here and it is beautiful. I think it is gonna be just a grand weddin'."

Amy then scrolled and showed them pictures of the place where they would be getting married. "It is beautiful. I could not have asked for a more lovely setting, and a church setting at that. Thank you for lettin' my son marry in a church" Mama Mary patted Amy's hand.

"Of course, I knew it would mean a lot to you. How could I not? I am so excited about it as well. It is going to be beautiful. Raj has ordered stunning flowers and has taken care of all the decorations."

"Sugar, what kind of flowers did he get?" Missy asked.

"Roses are the primary flower, but there are some red and white stargazer lilies and some bleeding hearts from Hawaii being flown over as well…and, of course, all the garnishing flowers and greenery."

"I cannot wait" Mary said. She was so excited to see her baby getting married.

After spending more time chatting, and enjoying some of the goodies Mary had baked, everyone said goodnight and decided to retire. Amy was actually glad to be able to just sleep for a night because she was still exhausted from all of the escapades from the night before and all of the flying they had done that day. She and Sheldon managed to find a space of time where they could share a couple of passionate kisses before they went to their separate rooms_. It is going to be a long night_ Sheldon thought heading up the stairs. He did not like not being able to sleep with his wife one bit.


	33. Chapter 33: A Mee-Maw Confrontation

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Amy woke the next morning and realized Sheldon was not in the bed with her. She felt very lonely and wished he could have been there. She got up and gathered clothing for the day and went about her morning ablutions. Once she was dressed and ready for the day, she went out and heard Mary clanging around in the kitchen with pots and pans.

"Good morning, Mama Mary. Is there anything I can do to help?" Amy greeted.

"Mornin', Sugar. Why aren't you sweet? If you would not mind, could you set the table? I think since there is only five of us, we'll just eat breakfast in here this time, "Mary suggested. After a couple of moments as Amy was busy pulling down plates and glasses, she added "Did you sleep well?"

"Yes, thank you. It was very peaceful and quiet. How about you? Did you sleep well?" Amy asked.

"At my age, Sugar, you have all kinds of aches and pains that can annoy you at night, but yes, for the most part, I slept pretty well for me. I get overly excited when Shelly comes home as well. This is gonna be the best Christmas" Mary smiled.

"I agree. I really wanted the feeling of a true Christmas and when Sheldon suggested we might come here, I jumped on the chance. I hope you don't mind. I just didn't want to have to try and figure out how to spend an awkward day with my parents. Sheldon and I are still trying to absorb what they told us and haven't even gotten to talk about it much between us. So going there just wasn't my idea of fun."

"Oh, Amy dear, you are always welcome to come here. I am thrilled when my little ducks come home, " Mary smiled.

The two women worked at putting everything ready for breakfast before calling everyone to the kitchen.

Sheldon had woken up and realized how much he missed his wife. He didn't sleep as well because he was used to the bigger bed now and the warmth of Amy's body next to him. So he struggled getting out of bed. He finally lumbered out and selected clothes and went to shower. Once he had completed his morning routine, he came out, a bit on the grumpy side from lack of sleep and from lack of being able to make love to Amy in the morning. They had sort of gotten into the routine that it was one of their morning rituals…make love before showering and enjoy the day. He found that their morning escapades in bed allowed him to be more focused at work. He knew today was going to be hard to get through.

Hearing the cry for all to assemble for breakfast, Sheldon began to walk toward the kitchen. He ran into Mee-Maw and gave her a morning kiss on her cheek.

"Moonpie, you look like you had a train run over you. Did you not sleep well?" Mee-Maw asked.

"Not really. I got used to the bed at home I guess which is a bit longer and wider than my old bed found here" Sheldon tried to come up with a good reason to explain his lack of sleep.

Mee-Maw eyed him and just nodded. She had her own suspicions but decided to keep quiet about them.

"Good Morning Beautiful" Sheldon said, going over to Amy and giving her a huge smile. He leaned down and gave her a quick kiss.

"Good Morning, Cuddles. As you can see, Mama Mary prepared a feast for us this morning. That should put you in a good mood" Amy sensed his grumpy side was about to come out. She knew he was a whole lot better during the days if they had had their morning love-making, but since that wasn't feasible, she was going to have to figure out another way to cheer him.

Everyone enjoyed a good hearty breakfast that was the signature meal of Mary Cooper. She loved breakfast's more than any other meal and always went all out.

"Amy, dear, Missy and I have to go into town to deal with some banking issues, some shopping, and get her some shoes for her dress. Would you like to join us?" Mary asked.

"Mom, Amy and I wanted to spend some time with Mee-Maw. Do you mind if she stays behind with us?" Sheldon interrupted. He really missed his wife and having her go off for half the day with the other two women was not in his plans. He knew that those two could go shopping for hours and buy absolutely nothing.

Amy looked at him a bit puzzled, but she actually didn't mind. She really wanted to spend time with him as well. She knew Mee-Maw might let them have some private time and for that she was thankful.

"Yes, Mary, I really would like to have Moonpie and his girl here with me if you wouldn't mind. You talk to her on the computer and see her more than I do" Mee-Maw seemed to sense that it was important for Amy to remain behind.

"Well, all right. Missy, we better get these dishes cleaned up and head on into Dallas" Mary ordered.

"Mama Mary, would you like me to start dinner if it starts to get late?" Amy offered.

"Well, Sugar, actually I was thinkin' we could all go into town at a cute Mexican place that Missy and I frequent. I will send Shelly a text on how to get to it," Mary replied.

"Sounds fun…we will bring Mee-Maw with us. I hope you two have a wonderful day in Dallas" Amy said, giving Mary a small hug and peck on the cheek. She went and hugged Missy as well.

Walking out into the living room, Amy went over and started to look at each ornament on the tree, trying to imagine Sheldon's little hands making the ones that were on the tree from him as a result of school projects. She imagined them having their own version of him doing the same for their tree someday. A smile was on her face at the thought. Sheldon came into the living room where she was at and walked up behind her, wrapping his arms around her and laid his chin on the crown of her head. He rocked her back and forth a bit, while she lay next to him, resting her head on his chest. She loved smelling the scent of his aftershave and soap. She loved his arms around her even more.

"I have missed you so bad" he whispered in her ear. She turned around and drew him into a big hug and whispered back "me too." He looked around to make sure Mary wasn't nearby and leaned down to kiss Amy passionately. Mee-Maw was watching them from the hallway and intrigued. She then ducked in her room to grab a sweater. After a few moments, they pulled apart and smiled.

"You had better watch your p's and q's" Amy teased quietly. "If you keep that up, they might just learn a thing or two about our relationship."

"Shhhh….can I help it if I miss my wife? Last night and waking up this morning just wasn't the same" Sheldon whispered.

"I know. I feel the same" she said pouting.

She remained hugging him and pointing out various ornaments, asking the background behind them. They relished just being able to be close and share this time. Sheldon was actually glad Mary and Missy would be gone most of the day. He felt that he and Amy might be able to slip away and check into a hotel to use during the days, if lucky.

Mary and Missy left out the back door, yelling to everyone "Shelly, I'll text you where to meet up. Have a fun time with Mee-Maw. Love ya'll."

Sheldon let out a sigh of relief. He loved his mother and sister, but he was afraid that they would push him and he was not good at lying. So he was glad they were gone for the day.

Mee-Maw came out and joined the couple in the living room. As they heard her approaching, they separated and went to sit on the couch. "Moonpie, can you put on some Christmas music?"

Sheldon got up and turned on the stereo system, located his mother's collection of CD's and selected a Christmas one and put it on.

He then went back and sat next to Amy, taking her hand in his. Amy leaned next to him and laid her head on his shoulder. Mee-Maw had watched the interaction between them.

After a little while, Amy excused herself. She was hoping to retrieve her laptop and check emails.

"Sheldon, I want to go see if I have any messages from Raj or from UCLA that need my attention. I will be back in a few minutes" she said as she squeezed his hand and gave him a quick peck on the lips heading down the hall.

Sheldon and Mee-Maw just enjoyed the Christmas music. Sheldon was still a little drowsy from his lack of sleep.

"Moonpie, I want you to be honest with me. You made a vow last time you were here that you and Amy would wait to have relations until your marriage. However, there is a change in both of you kids. You two have had relations."

"Mee-Maw!" Sheldon interrupted.

She put up her hand to make sure he knew she was far from finished "Don't try and deny it. This old woman has seen it all and trust me, I can tell. You came here last time innocent and still a boy trying to become a man. Amy was a girl trying to become a woman. The two of you are now fully man and woman, which is what love and sexual relations do to a couple" Mee-Maw kept to her wisdom.

Sheldon was very red in the face. He could never lie to Mee-Maw. How could he start now? "I have not violated the vow I made" was all he could say.

"So you are going to tell me that you and Amy have not made love? Don't lie to me, Moonpie."

"Umm….I said I did not violate my vow" he really hated this conversation and never expected it from Mee-Maw.

"That wasn't what I asked. Turn to me and tell me, looking me in the eyes, that you and Amy have not made love." Mee-Maw wasn't angry or mad, but she wanted the truth. What Sheldon did not realize is that she wanted to help them and not pry.

Sheldon kept looking down and then eventually looked up to Mee-Maw, the woman he had loved all his life and wondered how he could lie to her. He couldn't so he only answered "Ummm…it isn't what you think."

Mee-Maw nodded, understanding the answer may not have come from his lips that it was a "yes" but it most definitely was. "So explain it to me, Moonpie. We have a lot of time and I think you need to get this off of your chest."

Sheldon sighed and looked up to the ceiling. He realized that if he could trust anyone it was his Mee-Maw. She had kept many a secret of his in the past and perhaps it was time to share the one secret that he and Amy had been keeping. He was never good at secrets anyway and this might just help him. He turned to Mee-Maw again and started. "Mee-Maw, whatever I tell you must remain a secret between you and Amy and myself. No one else must know. Can you promise me that you will not tell a soul, not even Mom?"

Mee-Maw wasn't expecting that and gave it some consideration. She finally said "I swear on the good Lord's Word that I will not tell anyone, but the good Lord Himself."

"All right. As you know, when we came here last, Amy learned some devastating news about her family which is still an ongoing saga. However, as a result of that, I had decided that for our honeymoon, I wanted to take her overseas, to meet half of her family she has not met. She doesn't know this. It is a secret I am keeping because I want to surprise her."

"That is a wonderful idea…so sweet of you. She will love it!" then thinking a little further she could not see the relevance…" Okay, but I am trying to connect some dots so there must be more missing that will help this old lady out here to figure out what this has to do with my previous questions."

"I am getting there, be patient." Sheldon continued, "We discovered that Amy would have to travel under her maiden name unless she could provide proof of a certified wedding certificate well before the wedding and then be reissued her new passport. We wanted her to travel under her married name when we went on the honeymoon because, well she isn't crazy about the Fowler name at the moment, and she was excited to become a Cooper. Also, I am the type of man that when I make up my mind about something, I commit to it fully. I knew that the moment I made up my mind to marry Amy, I wanted her to be my wife right then. I also wanted to please her and give her the wedding she dreamed of. "

Sheldon needed to take a breath and Mee-Maw interrupted "I am not following, so she needed a passport and you wanted it under her married name. You also wanted to marry her upon proposing, so what are you trying to say?"

"I am getting there. We also learned Amy had been given a house, well she and I had been given it actually, in our married names. We had been given a house from her maternal grandfather. We went to see the house and it was beautiful, like out of a magazine. It was fully furnished, and included everything someone could imagine was needed already in the home. Both of us felt it would be nice to live in the home and not have to pay rent, thus allowing us more funds for the wedding and honeymoon. But we also knew that Mom would be upset if we lived under the same roof. Plus, to be honest, I wanted to be with Amy. It was getting harder and harder to not want to express my feelings for her. So we came up with a plan. We would secretly elope and then still have our wedding in February. We didn't tell a single one of our friends and no one in our families. The intent was to not hurt any feelings about not being present to see us wed. We wanted February's wedding to be for that purpose. But we wanted to be able to be honest and make sure that we were pure when we entered our union. We both had been virgins before marrying and wanted our wedding, or in this case, elopement night, to be our first times."

"Oh Moonpie…that is very romantic! I love it…you had a secret elopement so are man and wife now?" Mee-Maw said, holding her hands to her heart and she literally had a dreamy expression on her face. She truly did find that it was romantic and sort of old-fashioned romance at that.

"Yes, but we don't want the family to know. We didn't want them to be disappointed in us" Sheldon pleaded. "They deserved to see us wed and we did not want to take that from anyone. Same with our friends. They had been standing with us through our entire relationship and deserve to see us wed."

"Your secret is safe with me, but I am unhappy that you and Amy are having to play a charade here. You two should be able to share a bed together because you are legally man and wife. I feel awful that you are on two floors worlds apart right now, and newlyweds at that" Mee-Maw shook her head. "I don't like it. You kids deserve to be together."

Amy walked in just as both Sheldon and Mee-Maw gave her a look that she could not quite understand. "Am I interrupting something?" She felt like she should not have entered the room at that time.

"No, no, dear…please come over here. Moonpie and I were just having a wonderful talk and I am trying to help come up with a solution" Mee-Maw pointed to the couch at the time, directing her to sit next to Sheldon.

"I had to reveal our secret to her" Sheldon said as Amy came and sat next to him. Amy's eyes widened, afraid Mee-Maw would be upset.

"So, Moonpie, I think you and Amy are going to have to tell your Mom. I want you two to be able to be together here. You newlyweds should not be sleeping in separate rooms." Mee-Maw started.

"Won't we upset everyone though? I mean the whole reason we did this was to make sure that everyone would be able to see us marry and well it sort of steals some thunder from the event if they know it isn't our first exchange of vows" Amy asked.

"She is right, Mee-Maw…we did this so that Mom will feel like she is witnessing me marry Amy for the first time. I don't want to deprive that of her. As much as Amy and I want to spend time together, we also don't want to hurt others in the process."

"I actually am finding it a bit titillating that Sheldon and I have to act like we are dating again in a way. It reminds me of how sweet our romance was" Amy smiled up at Sheldon. "It is like great romance novels where the couple often had to resort to eye contact as their form of coitus."

"Yes, and Lord knows, we did plenty of eye-coitus in our relationship" Sheldon teased. "Not quite the same as actual intercourse, but still there is something just as arousing about it."

"So you want to remain secret on the matter?" Mee-Maw interrupted their exchange.

"Yes. I think it is wise that we remain staying the course we have been on. Now that does not mean that I would not mind being able to sneak off with Amy for some private moments" Sheldon winked.

"Amy dear, if you are willing, I say keep this man wanting more. It will just make the time you kids get to be back together all that more exciting" Mee-Maw teased. " I love my Moonpie, but as a woman…I am going to stick with the sisterhood on this one. You get the final vote."

"Mee-Maw, as much as I love being with my husband, I am in agreement." Amy smiled deviously. "Cuddles, we will have to play this to the hilt..and it will make our reunion all that much sweeter." Amy was trying to figure out how she was going to keep her hands off of her husband. She adored touching him and having him touch her. This was a delicious challenge and she loved challenges.

"Argh….I can never get a break. Okay, it was my idea that got us into this situation and I guess I am going to have to see it through, but if I am grump you will all know why" Sheldon pouting that he would have to suffer while in Texas.

"Amy dear, Sheldon said that you spoke with your parents. How did that go?" Mee-Maw was ready to change the subject. The kids' secret would remain with her and with them only.

"We mainly listened to them give their day in court I guess. They tried explaining the sequence of events, and then Sheldon and I said we needed time to process it and we have not spoken to them in person since. I did have their gifts delivered to them with a note that said I would be coming here for Christmas. I know I have not processed it yet. I have been very busy at work and with the wedding planning so have sort of put it aside. It isn't pleasant to think about."

"No, in fact, it was very confusing to think about to be honest. I haven't processed it either. Amy and I needed to be here I think to begin to talk and think the whole conversation through. It isn't something that we can keep brushing aside" Sheldon admitted.

"Well, I am sure the good Lord will give you two wisdom on what to do next about it. I am here if you wish my insights on any matter" Mee-Maw offered.

"Mee-Maw, Mother tells me that you have been joining a book club with some of the ladies from your church group. What books are you studying?" Sheldon asked, not wanting to think about the Fowlers at the moment. As much as he would rather be ravishing his wife, he was also enjoying Mee-Maw and their time with her. So Fowler intrusion was not an option for him at moment. It would only result in landing him to become more grumpy.

"Oh, yes…we are currently reading _The Life of Pi_. It is a fascinating adventure. I used to love adventure books" Mee-Maw's eyes sparkled with enthusiasm. "I always envisioned myself as an archeologist or possibly a spy like James Bond…anything that led me to adventure and danger." Mee-Maw was a kick. She had such a passion for life and adventure even at her ripe old age.

"That is a good book. I loved it" Amy piped up. Sheldon nodded in agreement. "Have you gone to see the movie?"

"No, I tend to let movies come out on DVD and watch them here with Mary. That way we can rewind and listen again if we don't hear something and we don't have to worry about sticky, messy, dirty theaters."

"True, very true. I agree that theaters are always dirty compared to the comfort of home" Sheldon concurred.

"So tell me about your house? I haven't heard much about it." Mee-Maw asked.

Sheldon moved over to sit by Mee-Maw and pulled out his cell phone and began to show her pictures, describing every detail of the outside and each room on the inside, making sure to show her his man cave last since that was his favorite room.

"It is stunning…just beautiful" Mee-Maw praised.

"You will see it in February when you come out for the wedding" Amy mentioned. "We want you to feel welcome anytime you want to visit us. We have a full guest suite on the main floor so you need not fear steps or anything that will be difficult for you."

"Thank you, dear. You really are another granddaughter to me. I am so glad to have you in our family" Mee-Maw smiled, her eyes were bright with pleasure.

"Would you like to play a board game with us, Mee-Maw?" Sheldon offered. He felt like they should be doing something fun with Mee-Maw.

"No, actually, this is about the time I lay down for a mid-morning nap. Would you mind if I excuse myself? I usually sleep for about an hour and then I am all revved up again. Maybe we could play the game then?" she offered.

"All right, Mee-Maw."

"Would you like me to help you in any way?" Amy offered.

"No, I am fine. I do this every day. At my age, you find after a full breakfast, about an hour later you need to lie down and rest for a bit" she said as she started to head down the hall. "Old age isn't what it is cracked up to be" she mumbled as she continued to her room.

"Well, I guess that means we can go take our own nap in my room if you want" Sheldon said, eyebrows going up and down. "We might have to be a bit quieter and more subdued."

"I certainly would not object to a nap, but we need to set your alarm in case we fall asleep. I am more rested than you, it seems" she teased.

"Good idea. Let's wait a few minutes before heading upstairs. I want to make sure she is settled down for her nap" Sheldon didn't want his family to know what a sex-addict he had become with his wife.

About five minutes later, Amy tiptoed and stood outside of Mee-Maw's room and could tell the woman was already down and probably asleep. She came back and headed straight for the stairs pointing at them to Sheldon. They quietly crept up the stairs and into his room. "What kind of activity should we have been up to if she asks when she wakes up?" Amy asked, closing the door behind them.

The two of them thought for a couple of minutes and then at the same time said "Counterfactuals".

"If we play strip Counterfactuals, we can be telling the truth" Amy teased. Sheldon thought about it and agreed. So they proceeded to play a quick game of strip Counterfactuals…quick because they wanted to have more time for making love than taking off clothes. Within minutes they were under the sheets and well into their passionate love-making. Both fell asleep, content and happy. Amy woke before the alarm went off and slowly crawled out of bed. She wanted to creep downstairs and let Sheldon sleep. She felt he needed extra sleep. She turned off the alarm, dressed and tiptoed to the bathroom across the hall and straightened her hair. When satisfied, she tiptoed back down the stairs and into the living room. She pulled out a book off of the shelf and began leafing through. She could hear Mee-Maw's door open and her shuffling back to the living room.

"Did you have a good nap?" Amy asked smiling at Mee-Maw, looking up from the book she was perusing.

"Why yes, dear. So where is Moonpie?" Mee-Maw looked perplexed. She had honestly thought the two kids would be upstairs and was surprised to find Amy downstairs. "He went to take a nap. He didn't sleep well last night. We played some Counterfactuals and you know how grumpy he is when he loses, well add sleep deprivation on top of that and he was quite a bear. I suggested he get some sleep so he is napping. I suppose he will be down in a while, but with a much better mood" Amy said, smiling. She reflected on their little rendezvous and was happy they managed to sneak it in. She knew it would make him in much better spirits, like it did her.

"So tell me about your award. Moonpie said you won an award of some sort?" Mee-Maw asked.

"Yes, I was named Neurobiologist of the Year. Sheldon and I will be attending a banquet in late Janaury where I will be honored," Amy replied. "It is an honor, yet I feel rather humbled by it. It seems like a hard act to follow. But it is nothing compared to a Nobel Prize. I am so proud of Sheldon winning a Prize. He deserves many of them" Amy prided.

"Yes, I can see you are proud of him…and Congratulations to you on your award. That is quite an accomplishment! You realize he loves you with every breath he takes" Mee-Maw said. "He adores you."

"The feeling is mutual, I assure you. I cannot imagine life before or without him. I never want to experience it…ever."

"That is how it should be, dear. Do you two ever have a chance to work together on anything?" Mee-Maw asked. She was very bright, but education was never something she had sought after so to her all science was science and she was not aware of how specialized it was.

"Not much. He is helping me with a side experiment I am doing for our friend Rajesh. Rajesh has selective mutism, where he cannot speak to women…especially one on one …and the more attractive the harder it is for him to speak. He can only speak using a crutch like alcohol. Rajesh has helped Sheldon and I plan our reception in February, and has become a treasured friend. I wanted to repay him in a way that would give him life-long chance at success. So I offered to try and isolate what is causing him to have his condition and see if there is a permanent non-invasive or even minor invasive treatment."

"And Moonpie is helping with this experiment?" Mee-Maw asked.

"Yes. He helps communicate with Rajesh as I run tests on him. Conversation with Sheldon becomes a "control factor" for me so when I bring random women in to say exactly the same things that Sheldon says to him, I can monitor his brain activity and see what changes from when he is speaking to Sheldon. It helps isolate the problem area and why he shuts down unable to speak. I plan, that when we have finalized this study, to publish the results and have Sheldon be co-author and give him credit."

"That is fascinating. I am so happy you two can find ways to do projects together."

"Me too. It makes me feel like we are Marie Curie and her husband Pierre working side by side" Amy enthused. "She was always an idol of mine."

Amy and Mee-Maw spent another hour just visiting when Sheldon finally woke and realized Amy had let him sleep. He slipped his clothes back on and made up his bed. Then he came back down stairs, forgetting to straighten his hair.

"Well here comes sleepy-head…bed head and all" Mee-Maw teased.

"Yes, I really needed a nap. I didn't sleep that well last night. I feel much better now" Sheldon smiled and leaned over to kiss Amy. "So did you ladies have a nice visit?"

"Indeed" Amy replied. "You probably want to go comb that back down before dinner though" Amy said pointing to the top of his head and giggling.

Sheldon reached up and felt his hair was sticking up and ran back upstairs to deal with grooming. He came back down a few minutes later.

"How about that game?" Sheldon loved games.

"I think I would be up for a challenge" Mee-Maw said, eyes twinkling. "How about we play Scrabble? You can find it in the cabinet over there" she said pointing to a cabinet found in a corner table.

The rest of the afternoon was spent with an exhilarating game of Scrabble. Once it drew near dinner hour, Sheldon checked his phone and sure enough, his mother had sent a text with the name of a restaurant. The trio washed up and prepared to leave to meet them.


	34. Chapter 34: Sheldon Takes A Risk

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Missy and Mary were waiting at a table by the time Sheldon, Amy, and Mee-Maw arrived. The trio were quickly were brought to their table and everyone caught each other up on the activities for the day. Missy showed Amy the shoes she had bought and the girls enjoyed just girl talk.

Sheldon started drawing out equations on a napkin while the women-folk, as he would call them with his Texas accent, had time to Ooo and Ahhh over purchases the women had made. Amy was catching them up on the latest wedding plans as well. Margaritas were served to all, except Sheldon who still refused to drink alcohol. He ordered a Mountain Dew so that his drink matched theirs in color and asked it be served in a margarita glass. Amy raised her eyebrows to him because she knew that it contained a lot of caffeine and was concerned it would make him hyper. Sure enough, about ten minutes after he downed his first glass, Sheldon was super hyper.

"Amy, I think you should go back and help those cooks get our food out here quicker" was the first sign. Mary's mouth fell open, she was surprised because she hadn't seen a caffeine wound-up Sheldon before.

"Sheldon, I think they will be just fine without my help. Just relax" Amy said soothingly.

"Beautiful, let's get out of here and see if we can walk to another place. I want to race you there" Sheldon started. He literally was bouncing off of walls.

Amy signaled for a waiter asking for hot tea for Sheldon, preferably Chamomile. Within minutes the tea was set before him. "Cuddles, drink this. I think it will help you calm down."

"Come on, Amy, come with me. I wanna get out of this place" Sheldon pleaded. He got out of his chair, putting his hand out to her.

Sighing, she finally realized that he wasn't going to cooperate unless she could get him to calm down. "Excuse us. I need to help him work out some caffeine enough that he will be more cooperative. We will be back in a few minutes" Amy said. She followed Sheldon out the door.

"My goodness, I have never seen Shelly that wound up before" Mary said. "Do you think he will be okay?"

"He'll be fine, Mom. He probably wanted to sneak his girl out and have his way with her" Missy teased.

"Mary, don't you remember when Moonpie was little and you gave him a cola once? He was higher than a kite on energy. He reacts to caffeine. I would trust his little girl. She seems to know just how he works and what will get him back into a more tolerable state." Mee-Maw wanted to rescue the couple in case Sheldon was using an excuse to get a little private moment with his wife.

Outside, Amy had a hard time keeping up with Sheldon's long legs that led them to the parking lot. He opened the SUV from in back and signaled for her to get inside.

Sheldon, what are you doing?" Amy wasn't sure if he was really reacting to caffeine or trying to make a suggestion.

"Yes, I have caffeine in me, and I am energetic, but more than anything, I WANT YOU! I want you now and I can't wait" Sheldon said with authority.

"Hoo…." Amy squeaked out as she climbed in back with him. It was the raciest thing she could imagine Sheldon doing….taking a risk that they would be seen and yet she found it exhilarating and sexy as all get out. He managed to unhook her bra without removing her clothing and then unbutton part of her blouse. Moving his hands up he held her breasts in his hands and began to fondle them. Her skirt, which buttoned up all the way, he began to unbutton and pull apart…while he lowered her tights and underwear.

"You are wearing the light blue lacy lingerie I picked out" Sheldon remarked. "You don't know how sexy you are in these. But I want them off so I can ravage you." He bent down and grabbed the fabric in his teeth and lowered them off of her, taking his hand to get them off of her feet, after removing her shoes.

He then unbuckled his belt and pulled his pants and underwear at the same time down and off. Kissing her passionately, he was already extremely erect and he positioned himself to enter her. They moved rhythmically, like a slow dance at first, enjoying and savoring the feeling. Then the dance steps increased in speed and before long both released in pure rapture.

After Sheldon pulled away, Amy was working at catching her breath, while gasping said "Sheldon, you never cease to amaze me. The man I knew two years ago would have been so afraid to do something so risky and so public. You excite me…ravage me anytime, anywhere." She leaned in and kissed him passionately as she searched around for where her underwear ended up. Finding them she pulled from the kiss and began to pull up her panties and tights. Lifting them over her hips, she then buttoned up the skirt and re-hooked her bra. She buttoned up her blouse and threw on her shoes. She then crawled up over the seats to the front to reach in the glove box and pulled out some towelettes. She brought them back to where Sheldon was and began to clean him. He found it arousing, but knew they had to get back so put his hand on hers to stop.

"Unless you really want to draw suspicion, I suggest you let me finish the clean-up job. You are exciting me too much." Sheldon then finished cleaning up and slipped on his underwear and then his pants. He buckled up his belt and pulled Amy into a hug. He kissed her again passionately.

"Back seat sex isn't the most comfortable, but sure beats the alternative of no love making. I miss you, Amy. I miss my wife in bed with me."

"I know. Me too, but we promised and committed to keep up the charade. It is just a few more days and then we will be flying home and can have all the sex we want" Amy taunted him with eye-coitus.

"Don't do that…it is you looking at me like that, that gave me many a sleepless night before we ever became intimate. I have wanted you pretty much right after I met you. I know I tried to fight it, but you really don't realize the effect you have on me. That eye-coitus you do with me, it arouses me in a big way" Sheldon admitted.

"I know. Me too. Sorry, I promise I will behave. We had better get back don't you think?" Amy was looking around.

"Let's go for a short walk first. I need to cool down a bit. By the way, you better smooth down your hair" Sheldon smirked.

"Yes, yours is a bit unruly as well" Amy said as she took her fingers and combed his hair back in place. "There, that is better."

She began to use her fingers to comb her hair as well and got out of the SUV and back into the front seat to look in the mirror. Seeing that it looked okay, she got back out and they locked up the car. They walked up the street and admired the decorations and a few of the store fronts. Their faces were rosy from the cool air. Amy started to shiver from the cold so they walked back.

Walking up to the table, faces very rosy from the temperature change of going from cold air to warm air Amy said "the decorations were so lovely. I really like that little dress shop at the end of the street. It had a really cute dress in the window." She wanted to make sure it appeared they had walked around for a while.

"Oh you mean Marcell's? Yes, that is a cute shop. I think I know exactly which dress you are talking about, Sugar" Missy piped up. "I tried on a dress there recently, but the price tag wasn't very friendly. I decided I had better wait to see if Santa might have brought me something as an alternative" Missy said winking at her Mom, hoping her Mom bought the dress.

"Shelly, are you calmed down now?" Mary said, eyeing him. She still was a bit worried about his wild behavior earlier.

"Yes, the cold air I think worked a lot of the energy out of me. I think my tea might have to be reheat though" he said looking at the cup he had neglected earlier.

Mee-Maw eyed the couple and gave Sheldon a knowing nod, smirking at what she knew really had gone on outside.

"Well Moonpie, I guess Amy really does know how to handle you just right" she said, double entendre meant.

Amy wondered about Mee-Maw sometimes. She found her to be a bit racy for a woman her age. Something about that amused Amy and made her love her all the more.

The family all ate their meals and talked of favorite Christmas memories. They had spent a couple of hours in the restaurant, having a grand time.

"Shelly, why don't you drive Amy around town, show her some of the better decorated streets? You know which streets decorate well still, don't ya? Mary suggested. "We can bring Mee-Maw home. Just be back before 10, because I go back to my room then and watch my show and I don't want to have to come back down."

"Sure, Mom. I would love to show her some of the decorations. Maybe we will stop and get a hot chocolate before we head back home" Sheldon looked for any excuse to have Amy to himself for a while.

"OK, Shellybean. We'll see you two later."

After they all said their goodbyes and had paid the bill, Sheldon and Amy left the restaurant and Sheldon went to find a hotel they could check into and have another round of sex. He felt the last one, while satisfying wasn't near enough. He wanted to truly make love to his wife and not have backseat sex only. Checking them in, they went to their room and immediately began to kiss. Working their way over to the bed, Amy grabbed the covers and pulled them down so they could fall onto the bed.

They took their time this time…not the quick and fast rip off the clothes sort of thing, but a loving, sensual and intimate clothing removal. They poured out all their love for each other through very intimate touching and treasuring of each other. It was beautiful and romantic. After both had released and rested in each other's arms, Sheldon felt overwhelmed with warmth from the love he received from Amy and he felt for her.

"Sheldon, you know I love all the ways we make love, but that was so romantic. That is what I want our wedding night to be like…romantic and loving. I feel so secure and loved right now" Amy said, looking up at him and taking her hand and lightly stroking his face. She leaned up and kissed him sweetly.

"I agree, it was as if all of our love was united and one and that we had no other thought but love" Sheldon agreed. "Amy, I can't wait until we can have our wedding and quit pretending. While part of it is exciting to be risking things, another part makes me feel annoyed…because I have to steal moments just to be with my wife" Sheldon said.

"I know. I agree. February can't come soon enough for me either."

They soaked in the love in each other's arms for about another 30 minutes, when they realized they needed to clean up and dress to leave. Sheldon really did want to show her some of the decorated homes so that they could be telling the truth when they returned. He also felt they needed to start to talk about the Fowlers.

Both of them decided to take a quick shower, together, so they could redress and be clean. They cleaned up and re-dressed. Amy combined her hair with a brush in her purse and straightened out Sheldon's hair with it as well. Feeling like they looked pretty good, they left the hotel room, hoping to find a way to get there the next day.

Holding hands, they walked to the car and Sheldon helped Amy inside and then went around to drive. "I would like to show you a few streets so we can be truthful and say we saw some of the decorations, before heading back to the house. We probably won't be able to get hot cocoa, though" Sheldon informed.

"That's okay. The love making is far better than hot cocoa" Amy winked.

Sheldon began to drive Amy around a few streets and they ogled the beautiful decorations. "Amy, not to put a damper on what has been a beautiful evening, but have you given much thought about Winston and Jane?

"Not really, have you?"

"Yes, I think one of my big questions is how come if they loved you so much, they treated you in a way that you felt like an outcast all the time" Sheldon blurted.

"I guess I didn't think about that, but you are right. I admit, that I never really felt loved. I actually think I felt more loved by Jane than my father even. She wasn't warm, but she did treat me better and didn't insult me really. She was harsh about grades and finding a man, but other than that, she was pretty decent to me. She seemed to always show up at everything and show interest in my achievements even if they were never quite good enough. But father, he always belittled me. I always felt he hated me for some reason" Amy lamented.

"Well I think that is one of the questions we need to get answered. Also, I think we need to hear what your grandfather can tell us at some point. Maybe after the wedding, since we have so much else going on, but I get the feeling there is more there" Sheldon tried to not ruin his surprise.

"Yes, there are always two sides, aren't there? We really don't know what the MacGregor family thought about all of this, and what they knew from my mother, Iona" Amy pondered. "I admit I don't want to deal with too much before the wedding. I just want a happy time and this should be a happy time for you and me. If I don't have to address this right now, I would rather not. It isn't going to change anything and, well, we can just try to keep peace through the process. I suspect Jane is going to want to talk to me about wedding plans though" Amy continued.

"She is a woman, and you women seem to like to discuss such matters with each other" Sheldon agreed.

"What do you mean, "we women"? That is rather sexist. You men talk about it as well. I have heard Howard ask you how the plans are coming and Raj is heavily involved in planning" Amy chastised.

"You are right, of course, and I am sorry if I came across sexist. I meant that Jane will likely want details and so you are probably going to have to arrange to meet her after we return" Sheldon agreed.

"Perhaps I should arrange to meet her for lunch one day and bring her by the dress shop and show her my gown. That might make her feel a part of the planning more and see that I am trying" Amy shrugged.

"Yes, I think that would be wise. You have known her as your mother, and legally she is your mother, so you don't want bad blood between you. Just try to relax and enjoy the time as if you had not heard any of this history before" Sheldon advised.

"Oh look at that one! It is like a fairly land" Amy interrupted, pointing to a house that was exquisitely decorated and really gave Martha May Whovier, from the Grinch, a run for her money. Sheldon slowed down the car to a near stall while they admired the home. "You are right Sheldon, I will make sure to enjoy my time with Mother. "

The couple decided to end the topic for the evening and just enjoy the homes they were looking at. It was close to 9:45 when they pulled into the drive at the Cooper house.

"Oh you are back. What did you think?" Mary asked, glad to see they had returned home.

"The fourth house Elm took my breath away" Amy said enthusiastically. "I could not believe it. It was the most beautifully decorated house I think I have ever seen."

"Well, Sugar of course it is…those folks are the richest in this town. They doll up every holiday. You should have seen it on Halloween. They do up everything well. But then again, he owns about half the town" Mary said, a tone of sour grapes creeping through.

"I liked the house that had The Enterprise Model in their yard and ornamented it with Star Trek style decorations" Sheldon commented.

"Oh you would! That is such an eye sore. I can't believe you Shellybean. You have that beautiful house of yours back in California and if you ever did something that silly, I would whip you boy" Mary was disgusted with his choice of favorite decorations. She secretly was glad to hear they actually had driven around it seemed. She was worried they would do like last time and sneak off somewhere.

"Trust me, Mama Mary, I will only allow Star Trek, or Star Wars, or whatever comic and Sci Fi he likes, to reside in the man cave. It will not show up on the front yard" Amy assured, giving Sheldon a look like "don't you even think you can get away with something that tacky." Sheldon mock-glared back.

"Well you two, I am headin' up to my room to watch my favorite show. Now I know I don't need to be remindin' you …no sinnin' in this house" She said, finger pointed at them.

"We know" Sheldon whined. "We will be heading to bed soon ourselves, Amy in the guest room, me up in my room. So don't worry."

"All right. Love you both, Goodnight" Mary said as she began to ascend the stairs.

"Goodnight" the two said in unison. Amy and Sheldon spent a little while cuddled up on the couch and watched a documentary. Once it was over, they kissed each other for a while and then Amy head to the guest room and Sheldon to his room for another night apart.

The next morning was Christmas Eve. Mary was up early, baking away. Amy was up, cleaned up and dressed and joined her in the kitchen. After morning greetings, she began to roll out cookie dough and help decorate cookies with Mary. They enjoyed the bonding time and the smell in the kitchen was wonderful.

"Good morning" Sheldon said. He had come down in his robe and PJ's and surprised the two women.

Amy went over and gave him a kiss and said "Good morning, Cuddles…want to have a sample?" pointing to the warm cookies that just came out of the oven.

"Actually, I was hoping for Mom's biscuits and gravy, with bacon or sausage" Sheldon whined.

"Shellybean, I'm gettin' to it. Amy and I just had to get some of these baked so we can package up some for the neighbors" Mary stated. "Why don't you go on up and shower and get dressed while we finish up here and I can get to breakfast sooner."

Sheldon looked over at Amy, wishing he could share a shower with her. He woke up from a very arousing dream about her and wanted to make it a reality. Amy smiled at him and said "that sounds like a good idea. We should be done here shortly." She had no idea what was on his mind at that time because she was really enjoying a traditional activity for Christmas. She always dreamed of living in a home that was as warm as the Cooper home, filled with love, generosity, and tradition. Instead her family home was beautiful in things, but not in warmth or love. So she wanted to maximize opportunities while in Texas.

Sheldon realized Amy had missed out on things he took for granted and while he grunted as he stomped off to his room, nearly knocking over Mee-Maw on the way, he did know that Amy deserved to have these happy moments.

"Moonpie, what has got you in such a grumpy mood this morning" Mee-Maw asked.

"Mom and Amy are elbow deep in cookie manufacturing and Mom won't be starting breakfast until they are done. And then there is Amy, busy with Mom and not paying attention to me" Sheldon pouted.

"Oh poor Moonpie. You realize she is going to want to do family things. She didn't have brothers and sisters and from the sound of it, her family wasn't the warmest. Let her enjoy others too and quit being so selfish. You have her to yourself most of the time, so just be happy for her" Mee-Maw chastised.

"I know. I just miss her…and I am hungry" Sheldon justified.

"Yes, a hungry man is never a happy man. She will make sure you have breakfast ready by the time you come downstairs cleaned up and ready to face the day" Mee-Maw assured.

"Thanks, Mee-Maw" he leaned and kissed her on the cheek and ran up the stairs to his room to gather his clothing and head to the bathroom for his morning ablutions.

"Good morning, dears" Mee-Maw cheerily greeted.

"Good morning, Mee-Maw" Amy said and went over to give her a small peck on her cheek. "What do you think of our work so far?" Amy held up a few trays of cookies, proud of their accomplishments.

"Why those are lovely. If they taste as good as they look, you two could open a bakery" Mee-Maw encouraged.

"Mom, I am starting breakfast, do you want some coffee?" Mary finally spoke up.

"Why yes, dear, but I can get it myself. I suggest you remain focused on breakfast, judging from Moonpie's crankiness" Mee-Maw giggled.

"Is Sheldon upset?" Amy looked up concerned. She didn't want her husband upset.

"Nothing that a full stomach can't fix" Mee-Maw replied, winking at Amy.

"Oh, yes he does seem to get grumpy when hungry" Amy admitted.

"So you two eat together a lot?" Mary's Vulcan hearing perked up.

"Well yes, it is easier since we share the house. But at least now we eat more home-cooked food and healthier food since I do the shopping and menu planning than when we used to eat together at his old apartment all the time with the gang. They ate a lot of junk food" Amy made sure to cover.

"Oh, well that's good. I am glad you are watchin' out for his health. He has always had a sweet tooth" Mary admitted.

"It is surprising he has any teeth left. Do you know that when the boys had their game nights, he would drink sodas using one of those red licorice vines? I thought it sounded like the ickiest thing. I don't eat that many sweets, some but nothing like him" Amy informed.

"Seriously? He used those red vines for a straw to some already sicky sweet drink?" Mary was disgusted thinking about it.

"Yes. But he has learned to enjoy healthier foods. I made coq au vin recently and he loved it. We had brown rice with it and asparagus spears. It was all very healthy."

"Is that some foreign meal? What is cocoavan?" Mary asked.

"It is made with chicken in a wine sauce that is reduced, the alcohol is burned out and it becomes a tangy brown gravy with mushrooms, onions, and garlic in the sauce. It has carrots cooked in it that end up glazed" Amy recited the recipe.

"Yum, sounds delicious" Mary admitted. "Maybe we could have you make it for us while you are here?"

"I would be honored to make it for you" Amy admitted. "Maybe on Thursday?"

"I would love that. You leave on Friday, is that right?" Mary asked.

"Yes, we could not take much time off because we will be taking two weeks off in February for our honeymoon so we had to cut this trip a bit short" Amy shared.

"Where are ya'all going for your honeymoon?" Mary asked.

"I honestly don't know, but Sheldon would only tell me it requires international travel" Amy revealed. "He wanted to surprise me. I think it is rather romantic actually."

"Yes, it is. Did he give you an idea of what to pack so you know if you are going in warm weather or cooler?" Mary asked.

"I didn't ask, him, but that is a good idea. I will make note to ask him about that so I pack properly. Where did you and Sheldon's father go for your honeymoon, if it isn't too personal?"

"Well we were poorer than church mice, so we only drove over to Oklahoma City" Mary reminisced. "We still made the best of it. It isn't so much where you go, just who you are with."

"You are right about that. Just being with Sheldon will be wonderful even if it were remaining just in Pasadena" Amy swooned at the thought of just being able to make love to her husband right then and there.

Amy started cutting out biscuits and putting them on baking pans while Mary fried up bacon and sausage. She need extra to go into the gravy. Once Sheldon returned, breakfast was ready and they all gathered to eat. Needless to say, he became a much happier camper with food in his stomach.


	35. Chapter 35: A Sentimental Christmas

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

"Shellybean, Amy, are you two ready to go?" Mary called out to an already waiting Missy, Mee-Maw, and herself. Mary had insisted that the family attend Christmas Eve Services and Amy had not objected. Sheldon only agreed to go because Amy had agreed and he wanted to be with her. He felt that since it was their first Christmas Eve as husband and wife, he wanted to make it special. Sheldon had volunteered to drive everyone.

Sheldon came running down the stairs in a suit, looking very dapper. It was a dark navy blue and he had a lighter blue shirt on with a tie that was blue, silver and white snow scene with snowflakes. Amy came out of the guest room dressed in a royal blue dress with a silver Christmas-Tree broach and earrings that looked like she had dangling from each ear a Christmas ornament of diamond balls. She looked stunning. She had pulled her hair back and curled. She had a black coat to go with her dress. She also wore her black stiletto heels that always drove Sheldon wild.

Sheldon's breath hitched when he saw her. He could not take his eyes off of her. "You look gorgeous" he said. He put out his arm to escort her after helping her with her coat.

"Thank you, you look very handsome yourself. I love the tie" she smiled, looking up and getting lost in his sparkling blue eyes. The lights from the Christmas tree danced off of his eyes making them even dreamier.

"You both look beautiful, but Sugar, I think you just may drive my brother wild. And girl, look at those heels. What I wouldn't pay you for those. I love them" Missy exclaimed.

Sheldon gave Amy a sideways glance that she interpreted to mean "_Woman, you don't realize what you are doing to me. Unfair_!"

Amy smirked and leaned up to him and whispered "you are doing it to me too" then pecked him on the cheek. He smiled and then chuckled. "Mee-Maw…you, Mother, and Missy all look lovely. I am proud to be escorting such fine looking women."

"Loving your Texas accent coming through" Amy teased.

They all piled into Sheldon's rental SUV and belted up. Mary gave Sheldon directions to the church. It was around 11:45 PM when they arrived and they had a difficult time finding seats where they could all sit together, but managed to find some that were not the best view and certainly Sheldon would not have approved of the acoustics, yet he really did not have a choice. He was trained since a little boy that family always sat together. So he relented.

Surprisingly, the service was more entertaining than expected. They used all ages in the service, but it was more like a musical. Even Sheldon found himself enjoying it. There were very colorful costumes, decorations, lights with special effects, quite a band, a full orchestra and some very beautiful voices. All in all, Amy found it very enjoyable and kept leaning over asking Mary about different performers and people in the church. She really had a great time. The pastor gave a brief, albeit very effective and touching sermon. It probably only lasted 10 minutes tops but definitely had punch to it. Amy found herself quite moved. Sheldon even was surprisingly moved. The midnight service ended with the traditional lights out and everyone holding a lit candle singing "Silent Night."

As the congregation started to leave, Amy lingered, which meant Sheldon had to linger. She just soaked it all in…the decorations, the music that played as people exited… the memory of the pageantry earlier… and the message. She looked down at her lit candle and finally blew it out. Looking over at Sheldon she said "I was very touched by the service. I am glad we came." Sheldon wasn't sure, but he felt that the service may have triggered something in Amy that had to do with her past. He didn't want to push it so he just let her linger and sat quietly next to her as she meditated. She didn't really pray, at least he didn't think so, but she definitely was almost in a trance-like state for a while.

Mary and Mee-Maw had been watching and were pleased. "I think she is gonna bring my prodigal baby back" Mary whispered. "Look at her, she is really moved. The Lord does miraculous things and bringing Amy to my baby was one big miracle."

"Mama, she already has been bringin' out the best in Shelly. She is one hoot of a girl too. You should see us when we girls got together when I visited. They do a thing called girl's night out. We had a blast. She is gonna fit right in" Missy encouraged.

Mee-Maw finally said "Sheldon is good for her just as she is for him. Their love is pure and deep. It truly is a blessed union that the Lord has brought together." Mary nodded her approval and agreement.

Amy finally turned to Sheldon and said, "I'm sorry. I have been keeping your family waiting and Mee-Maw must be tired. Are you ready to leave?"

Sheldon took her hand and leaned down and gave her a quick peck on the lips. "Don't ever worry about keeping us waiting. You needed that for some reason and we can talk about it when you are ready. But just know that I am always beside you no matter what and love you."

"I know…and I am with you. I love you Sheldon Lee Cooper." The got up and hand in hand walked out, joining the rest of the family. After meeting the pastor, which Mary insisted they do, they finally had the family pile into the SUV and return home.

Once they were in the house Amy was not sure what the usual traditions were. Some families, like hers always opened gifts right after midnight service. Others waited until the next morning. She whispered to Sheldon "so do you open gifts in the morning or now?"

"In the morning, Santa has to still come" he said as if he truly believed it. Amy stifled a giggle and found it amusing how Sheldon could still be so child-like at times.

"Now you kids…ya'll need to get to bed. Santa can't come if you are still awake. Besides, mornin' comes awfully quick" Mary ordered.

Sheldon and Amy kissed Mary and Mee-Maw goodnight. Amy hugged Missy and wished her a good night as well. Then she and Sheldon shared a goodnight kiss. As they drew apart Amy whispered "Merry Christmas, Cuddles" and he whispered back, "Merry Christmas" then looking around to see if anyone was within earshot and finding the coast clear "Mrs. Cooper" he finished.

She smiled and kissed him again. They let their kiss linger and finally said goodnight and went to their separate rooms. Sheldon noticed the milk and cookies next to the tree that Mary had set out for Santa. He could not resist but take a bite and a sip of milk before heading upstairs. He figured Santa would not mind.

The following morning, Sheldon and Missy were like little kids thumping down the stairs to see what gifts were under the tree. Amy heard the clatter and threw on her robe and came out to see what all the noise was about. She giggled as she watched them. They truly were like children, shaking gifts, sorting them into piles so that they could easily open theirs without having to find them. It was hilarious. She was still standing in the hallway just outside the guest room when Mee-Maw came out in her robe and slippers as well. "Good morning Mee-Maw, Merry Christmas" Amy said.

"They got you up too, I see. Merry Christmas, dear. I hope Santa was very good to you" Mee-Maw smiled. "Let's join in the fun." The two women walked arm in arm to the living room.

"Amy, you're up! Merry Christmas!" Sheldon exclaimed his face lit up and excited. "Come see what you got."

"Good morning Missy, Sheldon. Merry Christmas! Sheldon, I just want to enjoy the morning. I will look in a few minutes. I am having too much fun watching you and Missy."

Sheldon finally got off of his knees and got up to come over and kiss Amy. Pulling her up and into a huge hug, he kissed her. "I love Christmas" he said.

"I can tell" she smiled. He was infectious. She loved watching him be so excited. She then heard some noise coming from the kitchen and decided to go back to check on Mary. "Sheldon, I will be back in a few moments. I want to wish your mother a Merry Christmas and see if I can help her."

"Merry Christmas, Mama Mary!" Amy said as she entered the kitchen. "Can I help you with anything?"

"Oh Lord, no. This is a morning I let you youngin's be kids again. Go back in there and enjoy yourself." Mary was busy making breakfast.

"I have a hard time enjoying it if you are not there enjoying it with us" Amy admitted. "Please, breakfast can wait. Come join us and then we can help put it together after." Amy pleaded.

"Well, all right. I know Shelly is gonna want to eat right after he opens his presents. You know men. They can't wait for a second for food."

"He will be just fine." Amy walked over and grabbed a coffee cup for her and Mary and poured coffee into them. "Would Mee-Maw like coffee?" Amy asked. Mary nodded yes so Amy made a third cup for Mee-Maw. She handed Mary her cup and took two others into the other room.

"Ok, Sheldon, we are back. You can now begin" Amy instructed. She handed Mee-Maw a cup of the coffee.

"Thank you, dear. That was very thoughtful of you" Mee-Maw smiled, taking the cup.

Sheldon began to bring over gifts and hand them to Mee-Maw, Mary and Amy. Missy was already ripping paper off of one of her gifts. Sheldon sat down to open one of his gifts. Even though he was excited, he was very methodical to try and preserve the paper as best he could.

Amy opened the small box that Sheldon had handed her. After the paper was removed, she opened the box that had another box inside. It was a ring box. She opened thering box and inside were matching wedding bands. She pulled out one and looked and it had writing inside "_Love never fails and is eternal..to my wife Amy, Love Sheldon_." Amy's eyes welled up as she read the same message in his except _to my husband Sheldon, Love Amy_. It was beautiful. She pulled out a piece of paper in an envelope that had Sheldon's writing on the outside. It read, _to be opened on February 14 and not before_. She held it up to her chest and treasured it. She found it the most romantic thing he had ever done.

Mary had seen the gift and her eyes welled up. She knew that it really was going to happen…her baby was finally going to marry the woman he loved. Mary could not have been happier. It was as if all her prayers had been answered. "Oh look at me such a blitherin' mess" Mary said when Amy looked over at her and caught her wiping tears. "I could not help but notice what Shellybean got you for Christmas and, well these are tears of joy. I couldn't be happier." Amy passed the ring box so that others could see the rings, but she kept the private letter from Sheldon with her. She could not wait to open it. But she savored knowing he had given her a special message that would be read on the day they re-wed.

Sheldon brought her another gift. It was the gift Angus has sent. Sheldon was very curious what was inside as much as she was. So he came and sat next to her as she began to unwrap it. The paper had surrounded a box. She lifted the lid and inside was a very, very old book. It was almost a velvety cover that parts of it had worn off. Some of the writing on the spine had worn. It was hand-threaded and the pages had gold on the edges. The print on the cover was very ancient. It appeared to be in Gaelic. She looked up puzzled. "Who is this from?"

"This is from your grandfather. He sent it to me, remember that box that I had found addressed to me? This was it. Inside was a letter asking me to keep this for you until today and give it to you then." Sheldon replied.

Amy looked down at it and frowned. She wasn't sure what to make of it. She carefully extracted the book from the box it was in and began to leaf through. She saw pages of hand-written names and dates. It was a family tree inside the cover pages. As she continued to turn pages, she realized that the book must be an old Bible. "I think this is an heirloom Bible" Amy said, stunned.

Hearing the word Bible, Mary's ears perked up. "Oh Sugar, really? You got a Bible?"

"Well I can't be certain because I don't speak Gaelic, and I think this is in Gaelic, but that would be my guess." It was thick and had chapters and verses that broke down very similar to a Bible. She began to go back to the pages with family names on it. The very last entry had her name on it with her birth date. "Sheldon, look, my name is in this" she said pointing to the entry.

"How far back does it date to" Sheldon asked. He was curious how much family history was in the book.

"It goes back to prior to the age of the book itself. It appears someone back filled information. There are entries going back to the 11th Century. Look, this handwriting is barely readable because of the ancient style of writing. But I think that says 1049 or something like that. The book itself has to be at least the 17th Century because that is when the first Gaelic translation of the Bible was done, wasn't it?" Amy asked looking up to Sheldon who always had wealth of trivia.

Sheldon could not believe it. This book was worth a fortune. It was a great deal of, if not the entire history of the MacGregor Clan. He studied it fascinated. "Yes, I believe you are correct. Amy, this is probably worth thousands of dollars" Sheldon admitted. "I think this has the majority of history of the entire MacGregor Clan in it, although it might be missing the first couple of hundred years" Sheldon shared."It is interesting because it shows that your grandfather and your grandmother were distant cousins. Both were from the same clan. In your grandfather's message, he said that this was handed down from mother to daughter on the day the daughter married. If there was no daughter, then when the son married, it was given to the wife."

"So is that why he sent this now? Because of our wedding?" Amy asked.

"Yes. In his letter he stated that he wanted to keep the tradition alive even though Iona had died and his wife, Margarite had died. He knew of our upcoming nuptials on Feburary 14th so sent it for Christmas since it was so soon to the wedding date." Sheldon explained.

Amy was stunned. She really was feeling all kinds of emotions. She noticed something sticking out of the book. She turned to the page where it was and realized it was a letter addressed to her. She looked up and said "someone wrote me a letter." She was almost afraid to open it. She didn't want to become overly emotional, but she felt this letter was going to be monumental. "Maybe I should read it as well on our wedding day" Amy considered out loud.

"If you wish, but you may want to read it before" Sheldon encouraged. He knew it was from Iona, but he didn't want to push Amy before she was ready. "Whenever you feel ready you should read it."

Amy nodded and said, "I think I want to wait a bit. I don't think I am quite ready. I am already overwhelmed by this gift," she said, holding up the Bible.

Sheldon sat with her for a bit and then went back to opening his other presents, bringing her presents from Missy, Mary and Mee-Maw. She loved every one of them and she was sentimental and cried at each gift she opened. "I have never had such a beautiful and special Christmas. I cannot thank you enough for these gifts. I treasure them and always will" Amy said, tears welled up in her eyes.

Missy had given Amy a necklace Sheldon had made when he was a little boy that she had stolen from him and hidden away. He had made it for Mary when he was little, but Missy was mad at him at the time and took it before he could give it to Mary. He made another one for Mary that she managed to receive. Missy found the one she had wrapped, and thought Sheldon would not mind if it had come to Amy instead. Both were touched by her thoughtfulness. Amy had her put it on her. She wanted to wear it.

Mary had put together a complete photo album of Sheldon, well their entire family, but mainly photos of Sheldon all through the years from birth on up. Amy was so moved. It even had a picture of her and Sheldon in the album and it said under it _and a whole new chapter begins with Sheldon and his new wife, Amy_.

Mee-Maw gave her a necklace that she wore on her wedding day. She wanted Amy to wear it on her wedding day and to pass it down to either a daughter or daughter-in-law on their wedding day. Amy was blown away. She would have expected Missy to have been given such a personal gift, but Mee-Maw wanted her to have it. It meant the world to her. It was a beautiful emerald, sapphire and diamond necklace and matched her ring. Amy felt like she used a whole box of tissues to dry her eyes and nose from all the sentimental crying she did over her presents. She took everything to the guest room and studied the handwriting on the outside of the letter that came with the Bible. She decided she wasn't ready and put it back down. She took Sheldon's letter to her and put it in the Bible with the letter from Iona.

As she was about to exit to go back to the living room, she heard Mary back in the kitchen again. She joined her and began to help with Breakfast. She needed time to get her mind off of everything because otherwise she would be a blubbering mess all day and she had never been like that in her entire life. She wasn't about to start that now.

Sheldon came into the kitchen. "What are you making?"

"Breakfast, Shelly" Mary said, knowing he was wanting to eat already and feeling guilty that she had taken time to open gifts instead of have everything ready.

"I know, Mom. I mean't what specifically for breakfast?"

"I am makin' a coffee cake, and some pancakes, eggs, and bacon. Now if you don't want to wait until Amy and I get everythin' done, you are welcome to come help cook" Mary was short with him.

"No, I will be glad to wait. I will be happy to keep you ladies company while you cook though" Sheldon offered as he went to put his arms around Amy.

"She isn't gonna be much help to me if you won't let her continue to finish what she was doin'" Mary interrupted his plan.

"Okay, well how about if I sit at the table? Will that be okay? " Sheldon snapped back.

"Sure, Shelly. Why don't you set it since you will be sittin' there anyway" Mary countered.

He sighed, "Fine, I'll help. I will set the table." He was getting cranky from no food and…well to be honest, no time making love with Amy. He always was cranky if he didn't have his morning nooky. He pulled plates, glasses, flatware and napkins and begin to set the table. Amy ducked down the hall to the living room and brought in an evergreen/candle combination that made a nice centerpiece. She stopped long enough to snap a picture or two of the huge mess from the gift opening that everyone left behind. It made her giggle.

Returning to the kitchen with the center piece, she dressed up the table some after Sheldon set it. She added some pinecones she snuck from a couple of other bowls that had them sitting on display. It looked lovely when she was done. She then returned to helping make pancakes.

Once breakfast was done, everyone sat down to eat, following prayer led by Mary. Once they had eaten, Amy helped Mary clear dishes and rinsed them for the dishwasher. Mee-Maw, Missy and Sheldon had left to the living room. Sheldon and Missy began to clean up the boxes, paper and ribbon strewn about the room from the gifts opening.

Mary and Amy joined them after the kitchen was all cleaned. "Missy, you and I need to do our rounds." Mary turned to Amy and explained "Missy and I take our goody packages to neighbors and then we head over to the shelter and bring little baggies of treats we made up and hand them out to those who come to visit the Shelter on Christmas Day."

"Mama is big on community service" Missy half bragged and half complained.

"I think that is wonderful. It is important to watch out for others less fortunate" Amy was impressed.

"Well, don't get any ideas, Amy. I have plans to take you on a drive. I wanted to show you some places nearby" Sheldon said, and Amy knew he meant the hotel.

"Mary, I am going to go rest in my room. I am a bit tired from getting to bed so late last night" Mee-Maw did look tired.

"Mee-Maw, would you like us to stay and help you with anything?" Amy asked. She was concerned that Mee-Maw looked so frail when she was tired.

"Oh no, dear. You and Moonpie go and have a good time. I just need a longer nap today. I am not used to being up late and last night we were up way past midnight. I will be fine after a good long nap."

"Okay..well we won't leave until we know you are settled and okay" Amy said with authority.

"That is very kind. Thank you."

Amy and Sheldon both gave Mee-maw a peck on the cheek and she head for her bedroom. Mary and Missy loaded up the car and after taking over 15 minutes to load up all their goodies, they took off. They would not be back for at least five hours. That left Amy and Sheldon alone.

"Shouldn't we stay here…you know…for your Mee-Maw?" Amy asked.

"Well, I suppose we could just go up to my room, but I was kind of hoping we could go to the hotel where we could be as noisy as we wanted to be, plus we paid for it" Sheldon whined.

"How about if we go now…since she seems to be settled down and asleep…but be back within a couple of hours. I don't want her to be by herself all day alone…not on Christmas" Amy suggested.

"Okay. I can live with that. Come on the quicker we get there, the more fun we can have" Sheldon said, raising his eyebrows. They locked the door behind them and got in the rental SUV and head for the hotel. They were there within minutes and went to their room. Sheldon took his wife in his arms and began to kiss her passionately. When he pulled away, he said "Now this is a proper Christmas greeting" and waltzed her over to the bed. But before either actually got on the bed, he decided dancing a little was something he missed. So he held her tight and they danced. There was only music in his head, but it was romantic and sweet. Amy loved every moment of it. They gazed in each other's eyes and just moved in perfect timing with each other. Sheldon leaned down and kissed her sweetly, softly. "I want to make love, but more like the other day…like we want to do on our wedding night" Sheldon suggested.

"I would like that." Amy said. So he picked her up and carried her over to the bed, laying her down gently. He lay next to her and pulled her into a cuddle and kissed her. Their kiss deepened and became more passionate. Every touch they made was tender, loving and a bit timid, like first time lovers. It was very romantic and erotic at the same time. Partially, they were role acting, and yet they weren't because they were still new to love making even with all the times they had made love. They had only been married less than a month, so everything was still new and exciting. So tender touches, butterfly kisses, and soft caresses led to arousal and sensuality. Sheldon savored every touch, every caress, every kiss, as did Amy. They got lost in the romance and the love and the passion they had for each other instead of animalistic, primal, baser urge. Instead they let everything flow from love. Their passion led to Sheldon rolling on top of Amy and entering her. Their movements were in total unison, slow and rhythmic at first. Each motion was pure rapture. As the progressed the speed, the penetration was deeper and deeper. The touches were so tender that they sent electricity through each other's bodies. They wanted it to last…to be special. This was their first Christmas together and it had to be a true gift. They finally released together in complete unison. Both just remained still other than their rapid breaths and beating hearts trying to slow down. They treasured the closeness and their love. Clinging to each other, Sheldon finally rolled off and held Amy tight next to him, bringing up the covers over them. Both of them had tears welled up from the beautiful experience.

"Sheldon, that was beautiful…so amazing" Amy finally broke the silence.

"I agree" was about all Sheldon could get out.

They chose to not say another word for quite some time, drinking up their love. The romance was thick and they wanted to remain immersed in it. Sheldon finally began to lightly play with Amy's breast. He didn't want this time together to end. He caressed her and kissed her. Before long, she was in full arousal again, as was he. They proceeded to make soft tender love to each other a second time. It was just as beautiful the second time around as the first. Once they had recovered from their second session of love-making, Amy noticed the clock. She really didn't want to rush off, but they would have to leave in about 15 minutes.

"Sheldon, we should leave in about 15 minutes if we are to get back to the house as we said we would" Amy broke the silence.

"Argh….I know we should leave, but I hate having to go. This has been so wonderful. The best present, well at least while in Texas. Although I have to admit the one I got before we left home was mighty special and hot" Sheldon wiggled his eyebrows up and down as he teased her. He kissed her again passionately and said "sure you want to leave?"

"No, not if you keep doing that, but I can't help but worry about Mee-Maw being by herself on Christmas" Amy said.

"I know and you are right. We should get back." Sheldon sat up and began to gather his clothing. As Amy sat up, before she could move, he leaned down and kissed the tips of her nipples and then her mouth. "I love looking at you" Sheldon said. "I mean without clothes on…I love you with clothes on, of course, but when you are without clothes, it is only me that gets to see you like that and I love that."

Amy giggled and said "ditto." She decided to return the favor and leaned down and kissed the tip of his penis. "Think about that tonight" Amy teased.

"Awwwww…no fair" Sheldon said. "You do realize I won't sleep much now. Don't be surprised if I come knocking on your door."

Amy giggled and finished putting on her underwear and clothing. She went and got a washcloth and came back and began to wash Sheldon, which again started to arouse him. But she finished before he could get too far along. He pulled on his underwear and then his clothes. They checked their hair and decided it was time to get back to the house.

"Sheldon, we should probably check out. I don't think we will be able to get back here tomorrow. I promised your mother I would cook coq au vin for dinner" Amy suggested.

"All right. I agree it is going to be hard to come up with an excuse."

With that they checked out and head back to the house. Sheldon unlocked the door and they went inside. Mee-Maw was not out in the living room so Amy went back to the guest room to grab her laptop. She opened Mee-Maw's door quietly and peeked in and saw the woman was still sleeping peacefully. She could hear a slight snore. She closed the door and tiptoed out to the living room.

"Shall we Skype Leonard and Penny?" Amy asked Sheldon who was building a fire in Mary's fireplace.

"Sure. I think Beverly is there as well. I am sure they would welcome the interruption" Sheldon replied.

They chatted with the couple for a while and talked about what they got for Christmas and finally ended the call. They then Skyped Howar d and Bernadette. Howard reassured them that the house and everything was just fine and that he would give the their key back when they returned.

Mee-Maw woke up and joined Sheldon and Amy. They all played Scrabble again, Mee-Maw was a killer player. Amy decided this was the best Christmas she had ever had.


	36. Chapter 36: The Mile High Club

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The next day went well and as Amy had promised she made coq au vin for dinner. Sheldon grew grumpier as the day wore on. He really missed his alone time with Amy. She had spent a good part of the day with Mary and Missy, who she did not get to see as much this time around because of all their time away from the home. The girls had a wonderful time talking about Sheldon's childhood inventions, the wedding plans, Missy's next visit, and just about anything and everything. Mary insisted that the day that she and Mee-Maw fly in that Missy have a wedding shower ready for Amy that they could attend.

Later that evening, everyone went to bed earlier than normal since Sheldon and Amy would be leaving the next day and they wanted to pack in the morning.

"AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAACCCCCCCC CCKKKK!" banging and thumping and screaming could be heard from the guest room. Amy thrashed about wildly.

Sheldon jumped up from the sound. He hadn't slept well anyway and wasn't really asleep when he heard the scream. Throwing on his robe, he opened his bedroom door and began to run down the stairs as Mary opened hers as well. "Shellybean, what is it?" Mary was frightened.

"It's Amy, Mom. I think she is having one of her night terrors" he yelled behind him. Mary started to follow him down the stairs. Sheldon had taken them two by two and landed and kept running. He threw open the guest room door and immediately went over to Amy and began to pin her down and hold her, stroking her hair. Standing in the door, were Mee-Maw, Mary and Missy all watching. It took a few minutes before Amy started to calm a little and began to sob instead of thrash. Sheldon then pulled her into a cuddle and rocked her back and forth, holding her tight, whispering that he was there for her, he loved her, she was safe and all the usual things he knew to do when she had terrors.

"I wonder what brought on the terrors?" Mary pondered.

"I think we should let them alone. Let Shelly stay with her tonight. She is going to need his support" Mee-Maw said. Mary looked at her mother and realized she was right and nodded consent. The women then went back to their rooms and tried to calm down enough to get some sleep.

After they all left, giving everyone a few minutes to possibly get back to sleep, Amy looked up at Sheldon and quietly said "Bazinga" to him. He looked at her shocked. "What?"

"Bazinga….I knew you needed to sleep with me, so I made sure you could" Amy said coyly.

"Why you little vixen you" he said, smiling while still trying to calm his heart from believing she really did have a night terror. "I thought you really were having a night terror. You mean you set this up?"

"Shhh….yes. I wanted to find a way that your mother would approve of you staying with me. What better way than to terrify" Amy smiled widely. Sheldon shook his head. He really was shocked and yet found it very amusing at the same time. Once his heart finally calmed to a normal pace, he leaned over and kissed her.

"Oh come on, you know you want more than a kiss" Amy whispered as she nibbled on his ear…she continued with, "we just have to be very quiet, but you know what I want" teasing him.

She then began to kiss his neck and start to unbutton his pajamas. Moving her hands along his torso, she moved them further down and inside his PJ pants. She took hold of him, which instantly made him react. His erection began to grow. She played with him until it hardened and grew larger. While she played, she moved herself further down and using her teeth, pulled his PJ bottoms lower. She used her other hand to finish bringing them up over him, never stopping her hand motion. She took him in her mouth and began to explore him, using her tongue on his head to stimulate him further. He was in ecstasy and stifled moans he wanted to make while knowing he had to be quiet.

She continued to pleasure him, but he then pulled her off so that he could pull her nightgown over her head, leaving her with nothing but her panties on. He began to kiss her passionately while playing with her nipples and squeezing her breasts. He then moved his lips further and took a breast in his mouth as his hand moved further down and toyed with her waistband. He placed a finger to bring the lace undies off of her and with a flick tossed them aside. He then fingered her while he continued to suck on her breasts. She was all the while pumping him with her hand, bringing him close to release. Pulling his fingers out, he rolled her over and got on top and entered her. Amy's hands held onto the posts on the bed, which for some reason Sheldon found even more exciting. He kissed her passionately as he moved deeper and deeper in her, thrusting hard and rapidly. Amy moved her legs up and crossed them while up in the air, bringing her tighter around him and also allowing for deeper penetration. Sheldon imagined her legs that way with her stilettos and that was all he needed to bring him to full release. She released about two beats after.

Both panted as quietly as they could. They knew Mee-Maw was next door and had been woken so probably was having a harder time sleeping. Sheldon eventually rolled off and they cuddled. "Those kind of night terrors you are welcome to have any time" Sheldon teased quietly. They rested for a bit before round two was to come. Sheldon could not keep his hands off of Amy. He began to lightly play with her breasts again and could not help but suck on them. That immediately brought on another arousal to both he and Amy.

Amy pushed him down and got on her knees over him and gyrated her hips into a lap dance, letting him caress her breasts and play with her nipples at the same time. She loved teasing him like that. He loved feeling her as she rubbed her crotch teasingly over his….not allowing entry yet, but just taunting. She quietly got off of him and off the bed and snuck over to the closet and pulled out her stiletto shoes. She knew he would go wild with those.

She stood, legs apart and pointed at him and whispered…'Cuddles, have you been a good boy or a naughty boy this Christmas?" The whole time she was standing there her breasts jetting out as she held her chest high, her buttocks tight and firm as she held them tight and her legs strong, lean, yet muscular looking sexy with the shoes. She lifted one leg up and pushed against the mattress slightly…the movement driving Sheldon wild. He reached out to try and grab her, when she pulled back and whispered again "You haven't answered me yet…naughty or nice?"

Sheldon finally replied shyly "naughty". She nodded with the response and came over, sitting on the edge of the bed she very largely crossed one leg over the other, and sitting up straight said, "Well, I think we are going to have to consider some sort of punishment for naughty behavior" He let her be in control and just kept watching, his erection very prominent. He nodded in agreement.

Crawling over him she kept the heels on, she began to slither her body over him. He let out a slight moan and she jerked up and commanded "Shhh…naughty boys cannot make a sound" in a whisper. She then continued her snake-like movements, winding across him kissing him as she did. She kissed his penis, his waist, his belly button, his chest ripples, his sides, his nipples, his collar bone, his neck, and finally his lips…all the while dragging her breasts over him, her erect nipples definitely leaving a bolt of electricity along the path.

Not being able to contain himself further, he flipped her over and entered her, causing her legs to go back up in the air and cross over him as before, but this time with the shoes that he had fantasized about minutes earlier. That just excited him further. After rhythmic thrusts and pleasure beyond pleasure, they both released, again trying to remain as quiet as possible.

Spent from the activity, Sheldon rolled over. Amy rolled off of the bed and removed her shoes. She found her panties and placed them back on and her nightgown. Sheldon, after getting back to more normal breathing pattern found his PJ's and put them back on as well. They climbed back in bed and cuddled, falling fast asleep.

Morning came and Mary head down the stairs. She started to walk toward the kitchen but as she passed the guest room, she back tracked and quietly opened the door. She just had to be sure. She still didn't trust men and their ability to control hormones. As much as she tried trusting Shelly, she wanted to be sure there was not any sin going on in their house. As she peeked in, she smiled at the peaceful way the two were sleeping. Amy had her back turned to Sheldon. She was lying on his arm and he was on his back, rather…hogging most of the bed. He had both his arms out from each side of him, his legs sort of separated and really was a sight to see. Amy was more in a ball on one small side of the bed, obviously having been pushed to the side while he took over the space. Mary quietly closed the door and went on into the kitchen.

Amy woke to the sound of clanging in the kitchen. She turned her head back toward Sheldon and smiled. She didn't even mind he had hogged the bed. She was just glad they were able to sleep together. Rolling over she cuddled up close to him and leaned up and kissed him lightly on the lips. He rolled toward her and enveloped her into his arms and moaned slightly and went right back to sleep. Unwinding herself from him, Amy quietly crawled out of bed and found her robe. Putting it on, she crossed over and kissed Sheldon on the forehead and slipped out of the room.

"Good morning, Mama Mary" Amy said as she entered the kitchen. "Where can I help?"

"Oh, Sugar, are you okay? You nearly scared us all half to death with that screamin'" Mary said holding her chest. "Do you get those terrors often?"

"I would say at least once a month if not twice. It is unpredictable when they come or why they come" Amy said. "I never remember what I am thinking when they come" she had to cover somehow.

"Well I am just glad Shelly was here to know how to calm you down. Do you know that you thrash about wildly? You could have hurt yourself bad doing that kind of thing. I mean you were like that horrid movie Exorcist" Mary exaggerated.

"I am sorry for disturbing everyone last night." Amy began to feel guilty for her feigned terror. She really hadn't thought about how poorly it might have affected others. She only knew she was trying to help Sheldon come be with her. She knew he needed time for them to be intimate otherwise he would be a real grouch…and flying was stressful enough.

"Well, Sugar, it isn't your fault. You can't help what brings those on, so don't you fret about it. Now, I am thinkin' we will have waffles today. Does that sound good?"

"Yes, those sound yummy."

"Well then, in the fridge there are some strawberries and raspberries, as well as butter and whipped cream. Why don't you pull those out and pull stems from the berries. Once they are washed and ready, we can use them as toppin'. Oh, and there is blackberry syrup in that cupboard over there" Mary instructed pointing to one of her pantry cabinets.

Amy set the table, washed the berries and set out all of the other toppings for the waffles. Mary fried bacon while waffles cooked in the waffle iron. As she stacked up finished waffles, she placed them in her bottom oven to keep warm.

"Breakfast" Mary called finally when everything was ready. Amy poured juice while everyone began to assemble. Sheldon still had not come out of the guest room.

"Well what has got into that boy?" Mary asked. "He usually is the first one up and here we are all ready to sit down and eat…."

"I'll go check on him" Amy suggested. As she passed Mee-Maw, she winked at Amy as if she knew what was keeping Sheldon sleeping so late. Amy blushed and continued on back to the guest room.

"Sheldon?" Amy said as she shook his shoulder lightly. Sheldon bolted up "Danger, Danger" as he moved his head back and forth as if scanning the room. He finally rubbed sleep out of his eyes and smiled up at a standing Amy. "Amy? Good morning, beautiful."

"Good morning, Plaything. I love you" she said and bent down and gave him a kiss on the lips.

"I love you too." Sheldon replied.

"You had better put on your robe and head into the kitchen. Your mother is getting suspicious" Amy warned.

"All right, but thank you for last night," he said as he crawled out of the bed and pulled on his robe.

Walking out hand in hand, they walked to the kitchen. "Good morning, Mom, Mee-Maw, and Missy" Sheldon said all cheerily.

"Well I guess the extra sleep did you some good" Mary said, eyeing him strangely. She couldn't believe what a good mood he was in. Most other mornings, he had been very grouchy.

"Amy and I will clean up and pack, as we have to be at the airport by 1 PM, "Sheldon finally said, breaking a silence that seemed to be in the room.

"Mama Mary, these waffles are delicious" Amy complimented. "Do you put something special in the batter?"

"Bacon grease and butter. Those two things make everything taste better" Mary prided. "But I do think the fresh berries help as well. I love syrup, but berries give it that extra tang and texture."

"I agree. I love anytime I can have fresh fruits or vegetables" Amy nodded.

"So you two have to leave so soon?" It was finally starting to hit Mary that they would be gone before noon. "I am gonna miss you both."

"It won't be long…the wedding isn't that far away now" Sheldon encouraged.

"True. I can't wait to see you standing there so handsome in your tux" Mary commented.

"Umm…Mom, I am not wearing a tux" Sheldon replied.

"What? What do you mean you are not wearing a tux? A handsome suit then?" Mary was surprised.

"No, the men and I will be in Star Trek suits." Sheldon replied. He had actually had another idea occur recently but he would have to do some further research before he made a wardrobe change decision. He wanted it to be surprise to everyone if things went the way he was thinking.

Completing breakfast and cleaning up, Sheldon and Amy went through the task of showering, dressing, and packing for their return home flight. Upon completion, Amy wheeled out her suitcase and carried her purse and coat and brought them into the living room. She went back into the guest room and pulled off dirty linens and folded all the bedding. She checked the bathroom and sprayed down the shower and the sink and vanity, cleaning the bathroom. She also cleaned the mirror. Once she felt that the bath had been disinfected and cleaned, she took the dirty linens to the laundry room and put them in the proper basket for color coordinated washing.

Out in the living room, Sheldon finally came down and joined her. He too had cleaned up after himself in the bath that he and Missy shared upstairs. He stripped off linens and took his dirty linens to the laundry as well. Rejoining Amy, he put his arm out and said "Ready for our flight back?"

"Yes, she smiled up at him." She then turned and hugged each woman and kissed their cheeks and thanked them for everything. "I can't wait until February when we can see you again."

"Oh Sugar, we can hardly wait. I can't wait to see you two united in Holy Matrimony" Mary squealed. The women walked the couple out and waved as they pulled away, heading for the airport.

After clearing security, Amy and Sheldon finally boarded the plane and got settled in their seats. Sheldon looked at what Amy was wearing. He made note for later. The plane ascended and they were well on their way to Pasadena. A little while into the flight, Sheldon leaned over and whispered…."I want to be risky again" and took his fingers and lightly went up and down Amy's arm, making her skin tingle and immediately began to arouse her.

She looked over at him in surprise, mouth agape. She leaned into him and whispered back "Did I hear you correctly?" eyes wide.

"Yes…come on, let's go to the one in back" he suggested. Amy looked around on the plane and realized it wasn't a very full flight. There was no meal, so the bathrooms would not be in as high of a demand. She finally unbuckled her belt and waited for Sheldon to get up and move. He let her go on back and then a couple of minutes later strolled back as well. He lightly knocked on the bathroom door and she opened it allowing him in. She had put the commode seat cover down and placed paper towels on it for better sanitary environment. Sheldon squeezed into the facility and pulled down both his pants and underwear, careful to not let them touch the floor. He placed them on some paper towels on the vanity. He sat down on the towels Amy placed on the commode cover. She quickly slipped her underwear down, careful to step out of them without allowing them to touch the floor. She handed them to Sheldon who put them in his shirt pocket. Crawling over him so that he could slip inside of her, she let him enter. He held her at the waist, keeping her balance, while the other hand of hers held onto the vanity to keep from falling off of him. With his other hand, he unbuttoned her blouse and unclasped her bra. He fondled her breasts and began to suck on them. Amy moaned. The thrill of possibly being caught excited her and aroused her further. She was so ready for him.

He too was excited about the danger of being caught and so was extremely aroused. He had been thinking about her so much as it was, so he was fully erect by the time he entered the bathroom, it wasn't going to take much to reach climax. Together they moved in concert and he plunged deeper and deeper with each thrust. She worked him up and down and nibbled on his ears, kissing him passionately, and constantly giving him wonderful views and touches of her breasts. He was in pure rapture, as was she. After about 20 minutes, they released together…he having many aftershocks. After catching her breath, she finally dismounted him and wiped herself down…his release was messier than usual. She then pulled her undies from his pocket and put them back on. She clasped her bra and buttoned her top back up. She leaned over and kissed him again passionately. Turning to the sink, she pulled some towels down and added some soap and began to wash him. He pulled her into a kiss as she tried to clean him. It only proceeded to arouse him further. She finally pulled away and said "I think, Stud, we have to keep it to the once. We have been in here an alarmingly long time as it is and the plane will be descending soon."

She dried him off and handed him his underwear. He pulled them up and then she handed him his pants. After pulling them up, he finished pulling them the rest of the way up when he stood and buckled his belt. Amy left the bathroom first, leaving him in there. She walked back to her seat and put on her seat belt. Sheldon took about five minutes before he returned and placed his belt back in place. Looking around, no one was paying attention, so he leaned over and began to make out with Amy. "We are not even unpacking the car before we have our encore" he whispered. He could not wait for the plane to land, looking forward to rolling around with his wife on their big king size bed. He had missed their house and their ability to sleep together, making love whenever they wanted.

The plane landed and they gathered their luggage. They had to borrow an additional bag for the flight home because the presents they got from Texas were more than they took with them. Finding their SUV, they loaded up, paid the parking fees and head back to their home. When they pulled up into the drive, Howard's car was there. He had just dropped by to pick up the mail.

"Hey, welcome back you two. How was Texas?" he asked.

"It was wonderful" Amy replied. "How were your holidays?"

"Bernie and I had a good time. We went up to Mammoth to the ski lodge and it was like a second honeymoon" Howard beamed. He then handed the key to Sheldon and said "Well the mail has been brought in for the day and your trash bins are back in place. All seems to be well at your house. I didn't check the whole house, but just from looking from the foyer, it seems to be just fine. I will admit I went downstairs and played a game or two. I hope you don't mind."

"No problem, Howard." Amy smiled.

"Well then, I will leave it to you. I need to get home. Bernie and I have to attend some office party of hers tonight. They did a between Christmas and before New Year's joint holiday party."

"Have a wonderful time. Thank you, Howard" Sheldon said and shook his hand.

Howard took off and the couple closed the door, locked it and ran up the stairs. "Since your heels are in the car, don't you have a red pair?" Sheldon asked.

Amy went into the closet and stripped down, changed into a sexier lingerie outfit and put on her red heels. She walked out in nothing but a hot red teddy that barely covered her nipples, pushing up her breasts for deeper cleavage. It had hanging garter belts that she had holding up lacy white stockings. Upon closer inspection, Sheldon would learn it to be croctchless, but from first view, it had a vanity lace covering that appeared very sexy. Sheldon immediately stripped. His eyes were wide and he loved the sight in front of him. "Come to me, sexy" he said in a sultry voice.

"No, no…Not until you pay the toll" Amy started her game. She danced around and pretended that one of the posts on the other side of the room was a poll. She began to do her best at a poor attempt to poll dance, gyrating down into a near sitting position and then back up. She kicked her leg out, making sure Sheldon caught view of her red heels and took her hands following her ankle, up her leg, thighs, and then, rubbing her crotch briefly, following up her waist, stomach and breasts. She held her breasts to give them even further height and cleavage, bending over and shaking for effect. She then began to do a slow movement, almost like a rumba dance, seductive and enticing. Sheldon was watching, mesmerized, fully erect and finding it harder and harder to not rip off her lingerie and plunge into her. But he loved the teasing and taunting. So he let it continue. She was in control and he loved watching her use her vixen imagination.

She finally pulled over to the bed and crawled on top of him, snaking her way. She took his hand and placed it up on her breasts. He fingered her nipple and realized that the lingerie were barely covering her. With just a slight adjustment, her breasts were out and the outfit became almost like a push-up bra, projecting her breasts even further out and her nipples so erect that it was too much for him. He took one of her breasts fully into his mouth and began to play with her nipple with his tongue, while tweaking her other one with his hand. She ground into him and gyrated over his crotch. He could feel her wetness and realized her outfit had no crotch. He took his hands and followed her nylons, playing with the garter and the lace and followed them down her legs, sitting up as he did, still sucking on her breasts at the same time. He felt her arch back and he rubbed her thighs, her calves and her ankles. He loved the sexiness of her legs. They were stunning to him. They led right up to her promised land and he felt they were perfect arrows leading him there. Coming back up her legs, as he passed her thighs, one hand moved to her crotch and began to finger her. His other hand moved back to caressing her breast while he sucked on the other one. She moaned and her panting grew stronger. He knew she was close to a release. He moved his fingers in deeper and penetrated her more, when he suddenly felt the tightness increase and heard her let out a scream. He knew she had released.

He continued playing with her and lowered her down with him as he lie back down. He rolled her over and then played with her more…fingering her, caressing her, building her arousal again. He moved his erect penis up toward her mouth and she took him and licked him and sucked on him and pumped him. He was moaning and groaning from the pleasure. He loved watching her take him that way. He had never really had it be so visible to him and watching her engulf him was fascinating to him. He loved it. He then pulled himself from her and worked back down and entered her. They moved slowly and rhythmically together, growing more and more intense, deeper and deeper, penetrating every nerve ending within. Passionately kissing and caressing they finally released about 30 minutes later, both screaming out that they were afraid their neighbors could have heard them even though they were not that close by.

They stayed silent and cuddled close in each other's arms. They didn't need words, just closeness. A while had transpired and Sheldon moved his hand up and down her body, just enjoying the curves and feel. He looked at her heels and started to get aroused yet again. But he knew his energy wasn't there with his arousal. It would have to wait for another time. He slipped her shoes off of her feet, unbuckled the garters and pulled down her nylons and slipped her outfit off of her so that he could just enjoy her nakedness next to him. They lay like that for at least two hours. They didn't sleep, they just loved being there and feeling each other.

Sheldon's stomach began to roar, and Amy knew that meant time to go back down and prepare something for them to eat. She slipped on her robe, not bothering to dress. She figured they probably would come right back to bed after and what was the point. Sheldon slipped on his pants, didn't even bother with his briefs. He threw on just his T-shirt so that he could run out and unload the car while she fixed dinner. He knew that after he brought their cases in and upstairs, he was going to strip back down and put on his robe like Amy. No need to dress.

Amy made a quick dinner and Sheldon joined her in the kitchen…in his robe. She set everything out and then ran upstairs. She grabbed her red heels and went back downstairs. Before she entered the kitchen, she tossed off her robe and put on her heels. She decided having dinner in the nude would be a new experience. So she walked over, sat down, crossed her legs very provocatively, and began to eat. Sheldon slipped off his robe and decided her idea was yet another creative vixen idea and followed suit. They sat there eating in total nudity, other than her red shoes.

"You realize what you are doing to me" he said as his eyes followed her body"

"Yes, and that is exactly what I wanted" she said as she picked up a carrot stick and provocatively played with it in her mouth, suggesting something that completely made Sheldon jump up and kiss her. He pulled her away from the food and picked her up. Going over to the window seat, closing the blinds immediately, he began to let his hands explore her again as he kissed her passionately. Before long, they were initiating the kitchen. Another room checked off of the list.


	37. Chapter 37:A Commander and Prize

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The next morning, after Sheldon and Amy had initiated the kitchen, they were facing work, piles of mail to sift through, and as usual, hormones. It was New Year's Eve and they had lots of hope for the coming year.

"Good morning, Plaything" Amy greeted Sheldon as he stirred awake. He rubbed his eyes and pulled Amy down for a passionate kiss.

When they drew apart he finally answered, "Good morning, Beautiful. I want you to come by my office today. Maybe we can meet for lunch?" Sheldon said, almost like an order.

"Sure. Do you want me to pack us two lunches then?" Amy asked.

"Sure. That way we can eat privately." Sheldon replied. "Speaking of privately…" he pulled her over again and kissed her passionately, while lifting her nightgown over her head. He began to caress her breasts and before you know it, the two of them were heavy in the throes of making love.

Having recovered from their release and catching their breaths, they both decided they needed to start the day. Showering together, of course led to more hanky-panky, but not intercourse this time. They had to cut it short because they spent too much time in their prior love-making session. They now had to make up for lost time. Sheldon promised he would make up for it later. Amy was thrilled at the prospect.

Having had breakfast and had cleaned up the kitchen, they both took off in their separate vehicles for work after sharing a long kiss. Amy had taken the mail to sift through with her.

Sheldon arrived at the office to an open door to find Raj and Alex in an embrace and chaste kiss. "Uhem…." Sheldon cleared his throat to announce his arrival. "Not during work hours!" he scolded as he walked through and went into his office, a small smile on his face. He was actually glad to see Raj find someone, even if it had to be his assistant. He closed the door behind him.

On his desk were many letters, but one envelope sat on top that caught his attention. He looked at it and became wide-eyed. He was almost afraid to open it. Slowly, he opened it with very meticulous care, making sure none of the contents would be torn. He pulled out the letter inside and then fell into his chair gob smacked. He sat there for a couple of minutes, having turned his chair to stare out the window. His mind was racing. He could not believe it.

"SQUEEEEE!" he screamed, twirling around in his chair…alarming Alex so much that she came running into his office.

"Are you okay, Dr. Cooper?" She asked.

"Yes, now if you would please shut the door behind you and get back to your work" was all he said, but his smile was so wide she knew he had evidently read the letter that she had placed on his desk, at the top of the stack of mail.

Amy was busy getting caught up from her assistant on what all went on during her absence. Once she had been given the full report, she went through her emails. There were not many new ones since she had checked her email while in Texas. She also started digging through all of the pile of mail she brought from home. There were a whole lot of RSVPs that had been returned, and a number of Christmas cards that she had not seen. The rest were bills and junk mail. After going through the mail, Amy began to examine some slices of tissue taken from the brain of one of the primates that had died the day before from overdose. Looking up a while later, she realized she needed to head out the door to meet Sheldon. She grabbed their lunches out of refrigerator in her lab, removed her lab coat, grabbed her purse, and head out the door.

Sheldon had had a productive morning. The equation he had left before going on the trip to Texas he managed to solve and had a good draft written up on his hypothesis and what he learned. He looked up and realized Amy would be arriving any minute. He knew that it was going to be a great celebration. He removed most things from his desk, including his laptop, placing them on his credenza. He closed the blinds, leaving enough of a slit so that sunlight could brighten the room enough, without anyone being able to peer in. He then asked Alex to go to the cafeteria and bring back two bottles of water, which she promptly did and returned with them.

"Amy should be here shortly and I will ask you hold all, and when I say all, I mean all calls until she leaves" Sheldon said. "Do not disturb me under any circumstances. If Gablehauser or Siebert ask for me, tell them I am unavailable until 2 PM." He wanted to leave plenty of time for his lunch with Amy. "Then, I would like for you to take a nice lunch with Raj. You two go and get out of this building for a change. I think you will be more rested for all the work we will have to accomplish this afternoon."

Alex was stunned, but wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. "Yes, Dr. Cooper. I will make sure to lock the outer door before I head out" She said, knowing that way no one could disturb him.

"Thank you. Amy and I have wedding business to discuss and final planning and disturbances just frustrate us more than we already are when it comes to this tediousness" Sheldon tried to cover. Alex stared back as if she wasn't buying it, but Sheldon didn't comprehend. She just turned and closed the door behind her.

Amy arrived shortly thereafter. "Hi Alexandra, how are you doing?"

"Very well thank you. Your fiancée in there is acting a bit strange though. He actually told me to have Raj take me out for lunch and make it leisurely at that" Alex said, looking back at his door as if he were going to come out and change his mind.

"Well he is very charming and generous. He has been concerned for Raj for a long time and was hoping Raj would find someone nice. Maybe he is just playing matchmaker" Amy suggested.

Alex giggled. Somehow Dr. Cooper didn't seem the matchmaker type. "You can go on in. He is expecting you." Alex said while grabbing her purse. "Just let him know that I am leaving now to have lunch with Raj. I will make sure the door is locked so that no one disturbs you guys, per his instructions" Alex said as she walked out the door and locked it.

Entering the office, Amy found Sheldon standing behind his desk legs slightly apart, buttocks firmly squeezed, his arms bent out from his sides showing off his muscles, and his hands folded in back of him. He held something she could not identify in one hand from her location. He had a Cal Tech hat on, something she found foreign since he rarely wore hats. He looked like an FBI agent with the hat. He had taken off his longer sleeved undershirt before she arrived and so had only his T-shirt on. It helped show off his arms. On his desk was a single item, a letter.

"Dr. Cooper, and I have decided that if you are willing, I would ask you drop the Fowler part and just go by Cooper. I have been waiting for you. Please set the lunches over on my credenza." Sheldon's blue eyes penetrated. He was commanding and his face firm.

Amy thought he was acting a bit strange, but did as he asked. "Why is there only a letter on your desk and nothing else? And why are you standing that way and wearing that hat?"

"Ah, you are very observant Dr. Cooper. Perhaps it is because the letter holds some significance. However, before you are allowed to read the contents of the letter, I must ask that you follow my instructions" Sheldon was still standing like a drill sergeant, legs slightly apart and as if not at attention, but not quite at ease either.

"And what exactly are those instructions?" Amy thought she might be catching on. She could not take her eyes off of him. He was so sexy.

"First, you must remove your cardigan and hang it on the coat rack."

"Hoo" Amy let slip as she did as he asked.

"Now remove your shoes and pull down those tights and remove them."

Again, Amy complied.

"Now I would ask you unbutton your blouse and remove it and hang it up with the sweater."

Amy unbuttoned her blouse and removed it, placing it on the rack next to her sweater.

"Now the skirt." Amy slipped her skirt down over her hips and held it out as if she wasn't sure where he wanted it. "Over on the rack" and she placed it on the rack.

She stood in her lacy teddy. She didn't wear anything else but a teddy that morning, figuring she would surprise her husband when he got home from work. The teddy accentuated her breasts, lifting them and giving her a fair amount of cleavage. You could see her nipples through the fabric, especially when erect, which they now were. The Teddy clung to her curves perfectly, and again exposed her pubic area, not blatantly, but seductively. It had three hooks that could be unclasped in her crotch area, exposing her. She stood there, with her shoulders back and one leg slightly forward, with a slight tilt to the side as if posing. "Now, what, Dr. Cooper?" Amy asked.

Sheldon had in his hand a pointer and he took the pointer and extended it. He remained standing exactly as he had been, but then, took the tip of the pointer and began outlining her body with it, stopping at each breast and circling each several times before moving down and doing the same with her belly button. It was the most erotic thing to Amy. She loved it when he was so commanding. Her arousal level was going through the roof.

"Turn around and bend over. I want to get a full view of your buttocks" he said. "In case you don't know it, I love your buttocks." He said, but still in a firm, authoritative voice.

Amy did as he asked. While she was bent over, he slipped off his clothing and stood in the buff, fully erect. He took the pointer and again, outlined her buttocks area, then had it follow from one ankle all the way up her inner thigh to her crotch and then back down the other inner thigh back to her other ankle. Amy shivered with the excitement.

"Now turn and let me see that cleavage of yours while you are bent over."

She turned, still bent and her cleavage was busting forth. She gasped seeing his erection and that only made her even more excited. He took the pointer and pulled down, using the tip of the pointer, part of the lacy bodice to expose one of her erect nipples. "Now fondle your nipple and that breast that is exposed" Sheldon ordered.

Amy began to fondle her nipple and breast. Sheldon watched mesmerized at how erotic she looked. She began to moan. Arching her back. He watched for a few minutes before giving another command.

"Stand back up and continue to fondle." He ordered. She complied. She tossed back her head and moaned.

"Now, did I see hooks there?" He asked, placing his pointer between her legs. She nodded her head to confirm she had hooks located where he pointed. "Unhook them, please." She quit fondling her breasts and unhooked as he asked.

"Now, I want you to touch yourself there with one hand and continue to fondle your breasts with the other hand. Don't hold back any of your sounds" He commanded.

Amy began to masturbate in front of him, moaning and groaning, her breath increasing, she was wildly in the throes and screamed out, having released with her hand. Sheldon took the pointer and followed her spine with it very slowly and seductively.

"Now crawl up on the desk like a cat" Sheldon ordered.

Amy did as he said. She slinked up on the desk, on hands and knees. He reached out and began to fondle her breasts. She remained in the position, waiting for his next command.

"Slink back to the edge" he ordered. She complied.

He plunged inside of her, leaning over her and fondling her breasts with one hand while holding on to her hip and upper buttocks with the other. He let the hand on her hip massage her buttocks, liking to feel her tensions and contractions as she moved rhythmically. He started to thrust harder and deeper and took his hand and followed her stomach down to her crotch and fondled with fingers her pubic bone and upper lip area. Suddenly he pulled out of her and ordered "turn over, lie down, knees up".

She complied, while he crawled on the desk over her and began to passionately kiss her as he re-entered her and began to thrust. He pulled from the kiss and ordered "move your legs up over your head" and he went deeper. He kept kissing her and thrusting until she couldn't breathe anymore. She let out a stifled scream just as both of them released. He had multiple waves of release so didn't pull away for a while. Once he pulled away, he helped her sit up and the two of them sat on the top of his desk naked. He realized the letter had blown to the floor from all the motion. Once his breathing subsided back to normal, he crawled off of the desk and grabbed the letter.

"You, Mrs. Cooper, also known as Dr. Cooper, are officially the wife of a double-Nobel Prize winner!" he said joyfully, holding out the letter for her to read.

Amy took the letter, her eyes wide and began to read; he been awarded the coveted Prize in Physics that he worked so hard to attain. She threw herself at him, nearly knocking him over and gave him a huge hug and kiss. Their kiss moved into an all-out make-out session, leading to arousal again and a repeat, albeit smaller session of love-making in his office.

Once they had recovered from the second session, Amy began to dress herself. She wanted to leave a lasting impression as she did. So she started re-dressing by bending over, buttocks facing Sheldon and re-hooked her Teddy. She turned and as she slipped up the Teddy over her breasts, she allowed him to watch her burst into a large cleavage, covering her nipples last. She finally stood up and seductively pulled up her skirt, followed by doing the same with her blouse. She left it open for a while, deciding that they still had to eat and he could get a view during lunch. She opted to not put on the tights again, and stuffed them into her purse.

Sheldon started to put on clothes when she said "No, I want you to eat lunch with me, but no clothes. I want to enjoy the view" she said. He nodded and sat down in his chair while she took towlettes and cleaned the surface of his desk and wiped it dry with paper towels. Then she laid their lunches out and they began to eat. They did little talking, but plenty of eye-coitus while eating.

Once well fed, she went over and bent down, taking his penis in her mouth, and began to clean up any mess from previous love-making sessions with her tongue. Of course that led to arousal and more pleasure. Once he released in her mouth, she lapped up the ejaculation and licked him clean. He reached down as she did so and fondled her breasts that were still available through her opened blouse, while she finished the job.

"Now you can dress. But just know that I may be frisky again tonight as I think about this all afternoon. I hope Commander, that you will be giving orders again real soon" she said saluting him, "and by the way, Congratulations on the Prize. I am very proud of you and will have to show you my appreciation later. I will be reporting for duty tonight when the Commander gets home."

They kissed after Sheldon re-dressed. She heard the outer door open and whispered, "I think we should put the office back in order. Alex has returned." She helped Sheldon move things back quietly and combed down his hair with her hands. She also asked him what needed combing of hers and after they were all straightened out and looking as if they had just been meeting the whole time, she finally decided she had better get back to the office. She doubted she would get much work done after their sessions. She had never been so thrilled in her life as watching him take command of her.

"When shall we announce your news to our friends?" she asked.

"How about tonight? I can bring home take-out if you want."

"Hmm…what if we were to all meet at the Cheesecake Factory instead? That way we don't have to clean up the kitchen and….we can limit how much time we spend with them and get back to whatever activity we wish" she winked.

"I like that idea better. I will talk to the guys and text you what time to meet. I may want to run home and shower before. As much as I love what we just did, I want to make sure that I get thoroughly cleaned" he said.

Amy sighed and smiled, shaking her head. "Yes, just another thing I love about you. I think I will do the same. I will watch for your text." With that she kissed him and "I love you. Have a good and productive afternoon" she said as she began to open the door.

"I love you back. You too." She opened it all the way and stepped outside the office. "You look happy, I guess your lunch went well?" Amy said to Alex.

Alex blushed and said "Yes. He can be very romantic. How did your planning go?" Alex asked nodding toward Sheldon's door.

"I think we are just about ready for panic mode to begin. But other than that, well. I have to get back to work though. I am starting a new study and we are at a critical stage in another study." Amy waved goodbye as she exited.

Both Sheldon and Amy didn't get as much accomplished as either would have liked. Their minds were otherwise engaged. Both were thinking about their lunch-time sex and how exhilarating it was. They could not seem to focus on much else. Sheldon realized he liked being the Commander role and wanted to play that again real soon. He decided he might want to look for a military outfit to wear next time.

He and Amy had gone home to shower but missed each other. She had left later than he had and so arrived at the restaurant later than expected. Luckily she had texted him to let him know she was running late.

Once everyone was assembled, exchanged greetings, ordered their meals and done initial light chatter, Amy leaned over and asked "Do you want me to do the honors now?" Sheldon nodded.

She took her knife and clinked it up against her glass and said "May I have all of your attention?"

The group quieted down and looked at her. There was Raj, Alex, Penny, Leonard, Howard , Bernadette, and Stuart came with a girl named Candy who looked like a bit of a bimbo from what the rest of the girls could tell. Her dress was about two sizes too small and a child's clothing in length. When she sat, it left virtually no fabric for her to sit on it was up so high on her thighs. She had huge breasts that protruded from the dress that dug into them because it was so tight. Her hair was bleached blond, not a pretty golden, but almost white and brassy. It was teased high on top and definitely was more of an 80's style. She wore way too much makeup, lots of black eyeliner and mascara and fake eyelashes. Needless to say, many bets were being taken on how much Stuart paid for her for the night.

"We would like to thank each and every one of you for the help you have provided in putting together wedding details, for helping us move into our house, for watching our house over Christmas and for being the best friends one could ask for. We assembled you all here tonight because Sheldon has some news he would like to share with our dear friends" Amy started and held out her hand to give the floor to her husband.

Everyone at the table, but Alex looked puzzled and wondered what he could be about to announce.

"Oh, God, don't tell me you guys are pregnant?" Penny blurt out without really thinking.

Amy looked at her with disgust and said "You know what vow we took" she then looked at Leonard and said "did you make sure she hasn't had any alcohol?"

Leonard replied "She has been very good about not drinking and she has only had a cola all evening."

"Excuse me, I would like to tell you why we called you all here" Sheldon whined. Everyone turned their attention back to him. "As you know, a few weeks ago I announced that I had won a Nobel Prize in Literature."

"Yeah, yeah, we all know…you are now a Nobel Prize winner" Howard bemoaned.

"Yes, well, upon my return from Texas, I came across this letter from the Alfred Nobel Prize Committee" he started.

"Dude, did they take it back?" Raj asked his eyes wide.

"Not that it matters, but I don't think Sheldon would care much. He wasn't that happy about it" Leonard reminded everyone.

"In what Universe, would I not be happy winning a Nobel Prize?" Sheldon was getting frustrated that everyone kept interrupting him. "As I was saying, I received this letter. Today, you are looking at the very first double-winner in the same year of the Nobel Prize."

Gasps could be heard around the table. "So what is the second one in, basket weaving" Howard snipped. He still was annoyed about the first one and now two? He just hoped it wasn't in Physics or any of the sciences.

"I am now the recipient of a Prize in both Literature and…..in Physics." Sheldon finally was able to get out his announcement.

"What? Did he just say Physics?" Howard turned to Bernie for confirmation. She nodded yes and he just slumped further. "Now we are never going to hear the end of this."

"Well Mr. I-went-to-the-International-Space-Station-Astronaut, I seem to remember you having a problem of 'never going to hear the end of this'" Sheldon quipped back using hand quotes.

"Congratulations, Sheldon. You finally did what you said you would. You won a Nobel Prize in Physics before the age of 40" Leonard said, getting out of his chair and giving Sheldon a man-hug.

"Yes, Sheldon, that is quite an accomplishment. Howie and I are so happy for you" Bernadette said, while poking Howard in the side giving him the hint to smile and look happy "aren't we?" the latter part she said in her Mrs. Wolowitz screech.

"Moonpie, that is great!" Penny smiled wide.

"Don't call me that, only Mee-Maw calls me that!" Sheldon glared at her. "But thank you."

"Dude, you will probably be on magazines and have all kinds of press. You had better hire body guards" Raj slurred a little. He had been drinking, even though the tests that Amy had been running were leading to some successful alternatives for his selective mutism cure.

The gang continued to celebrate for another 30 minutes before each couple excused and said they had other plans.

Leonard and Penny were heading to some New Year's Eve party that one of her classmates was holding. Raj and Alex were attending an party at her parent's home. Howie and Bernie were going to be spending New Year's Eve with his mother, ringing in the New Year. Stuart was going with his Bimbo to a party that one of his regular store patrons was throwing. She already looked as if she started partying last night and was continuing it straight on through.

As Sheldon and Amy began to head out the door, they ran into Wil Wheaton. They shared Sheldon's news with Wil, Amy wanting to get home fast. She still didn't like him for some reason. She felt he wasn't likely a true friend to Sheldon and was protective.

"So your wedding must be soon" Wil said.

"Yes, you got the invitation, right?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, and I sent in my RSVP." Wil looked over at Amy and tried to be civil "I understand you have given up Directing for becoming a Neurobiologist?"

"Very funny, Wil. I have always been a Neurobiologist, well at least for the last 12 years, and I do still direct our web production show, _Fun With Flags._ Now if you will excuse us, we were just leaving" she said as she pulled Sheldon along.

Wil watched them exit and shook his head, smirking. "Losers" he said as he walked over to join friends he was meeting.

Sheldon and Amy rang in the New Year from their home. They had initiated the laundry room. They had been out of town the Saturday night prior and had not yet had a chance to do laundry. Of course that meant stripping off the clothes they had on to be washed, so that meant…well…checking off another room. They also shared a glass of champagne at midnight to ring in the New Year, in front of their fireplace in their bedroom. Amy wearing nothing but her red stiletto heels and Sheldon wearing nothing but his Engineer Bill hat that he wore when he played with his trains. So a new year was rung in with loud pants and screams of ecstasy from a major love-making session on the rug in front of the fireplace. They did have a lot to celebrate after all…a marriage, great sex, a wedding, great sex, a newly found family, great sex, Amy's award, great sex and two Nobel Prizes celebrated by great sex.


	38. Chapter 38: Amy is Honored

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

January flew by. All the final touches were being put into the wedding planning. Sheldon had made a last minute change in what he would be wearing during the ceremony, but kept the other men, except for Amy's grandfather, in what had been planned. Sheldon and Angus had had a couple of further Skype sessions to finalize his trip.

Both Sheldon and Amy had managed to accomplish a lot at work, making greater strides than they had hoped and so were pleased they could go on their honeymoon when they wed without worry.

It was January 31st, the night that Amy was to be honored as Neurobiologist of the Year, and two weeks from their wedding day. Amy and Penny had bought beautiful gowns for the event and Amy had taken Sheldon to rent a tux. He was going to wear an ascot instead of a tie, on Amy's insistence. She wanted him to have a 'Mr. Darcy' look. Lucky for Sheldon, he could not find an Ascot that he liked so bought a tie instead without her knowledge.

Waking up in the morning the couple had had a nice leisurely bout of making love and were relaxing before they would have to start their busy days.

"So, what is on your agenda today, Beautiful?" Sheldon asked as he stroked her hair, cuddling her close.

"I have a fitting and have decided that I would finally call Jane and ask her to join me to see it. I also wanted to invite my father and her tonight to the banquet. I managed to arrange a couple of more tickets" Amy said.

"Why on earth do you want them there? I thought you still were upset with them."

"It is all part of a bigger plan. I want to make them feel included in my life, but don't want them involved in the wedding. I don't want him walking me down the aisle. I figured if they went to the banquet, it would be sort of a way they can feel like I am including them in my life, but not having to involve them where it really matters to me. We won't have to talk to them much because it isn't that kind of event. There are no meals there, and we would just be having them sit in the audience with everyone else and show some pride, if they so choose" Amy rationalized.

"Hmmm…I guess. At least it isn't the kind of thing where we have to exchange much more than pleasantries" Sheldon agreed.

"Exactly. I also have them sitting on the other side of the room from your mother, per your request at our reception. Of course they won't have to be on the same side at the ceremony since the groom has his side and the bride hers. This way, they are part of my achievements, but not really…does that make sense?"

"Yes, actually. It makes a lot of sense and I am impressed." He leaned over and began to kiss her.

When he pulled away, she tossed the covers back and began to get out of bed. Sheldon took that as a challenge and began to chase her around. They both ended up running to the bathroom and got in the shower. Hot steamy water accompanied their hot steamy sex. They finally cleaned up, dried off, and dressed and headed down for breakfast.

"Sheldon, I am going to call my mother before I head out. I want to make sure she can meet me. I know you have to go for your meeting this morning. I just wanted you to know I would be making the call. I love you" Amy said and kissed him before he took off in his SUV to work. Scrolling to find her mother's number, Amy placed the call.

"Amy, it is so good to hear from you. I have missed you, dear. Is there anything I can be doing to help with the wedding?" Jane answered.

"Actually, that is the reason I was calling. I am having a fitting today and I thought you might want to accompany me. I wanted you to see my gown. I thought we could grab a bite to eat right after" Amy suggested.

"I would love to join you. Let me just check something quick." There was a pause while Jane went to look on her wall calendar and she came back and said "Yes, it works just fine. I thought I had an appointment today that is actually tomorrow. So I am able to join you."

"Good, I also am being awarded tonight Neurobiologist of the Year at the DC Pavilion. I have two tickets that I have been able to get besides the ones for Sheldon and myself and I wanted to know if you and Father would like to attend. I will be honored there and given the award. It is formal attire, black tie, but I know Father has a tux already and I know you have many gowns to choose from" Amy encouraged.

"I will have to check with your Father, but I am fairly certain he will do everything in his power to try and attend, so I will say a tentative yes. Why don't I call him before we meet to see your gown and I should have an answer to you by then" Jane suggested.

"That would work. So, do you want me to come by and pick you up to go to the bridal shop?" Amy offered.

"That would be lovely. What time?" Jane was so happy to hear from Amy. She really did want things to be mended between them.

"I will swing by around 10:45. I have a lot of work to do today at work, but have arranged my schedule such that we can have some time to look at the gown and eat without much pressure. I will be working later tonight to catch up the hours" Amy informed. "I will be by in a bit and see you then."

They disconnected the call and Amy gathered her things up and head to the lab. She called Sheldon and put him on speaker phone while she drove to tell him the latest with Jane and that she would be working late to make up for the time she will be spending with her.

"Why don't you pick up take-out and bring it here to the lab and you can keep me company. We can look at some of the data together" Amy suggested.

"I like that. I enjoy working with you at the lab" Sheldon smiled as he agreed. Upon ending the call, he began to think. He decided he would be running an errand during lunch.

The first couple of hours at the lab flew by and Amy took off to pick up Jane. She pulled up the long drive to the circular part and parked. Getting out of her car, she went up to the front door and rang the bell. Jane stepped out almost immediately.

"Amy, right on time. I am excited to see your dress" Jane smiled and pulled her to her side, giving her a sideways hug.

"I think you will like it. I think it is glorious. I feel just like a princess in it" Amy tried to keep to positive topics and it was true…she was excited about the gown.

They women got into Amy's car and took off to the bridal shop.

"How was your Christmas?" Amy finally asked.

"It was quiet. We went over to Susan's house and had Christmas Goose there. How was your Christmas?" Jane asked.

"It was wonderful. Sheldon's grandmother, who they call Mee-Maw, is such a fun elderly woman. She is still full of life. His mother is warm, loving, and religious. She can be a bit eye rolling over her faith, but she has a heart of gold. His sister is trouble with a capital T. She is feisty, beautiful, and while not nearly as smart as Sheldon, she has life-smarts. She really is a lot of fun. I can see how she was a mischief maker when they were kids."

"Now his sister is his twin? Is that correct?" Jane asked.

"Yes. She is his fraternal twin. She is tall and thin like him, but very feminine and has his same blue eyes. She is breathtakingly beautiful. She definitely turns heads wherever we go and she has that sweet Southern-Belle way about her that people just are putty in her hands."

"So she is nothing like Sheldon then? He is very proud and uptight from what you describe her like." Jane observed.

"Well he is definitely more serious. But that is the beauty of it. It is easy to love both of them for their differences and their similarities. Both are very possessive and protective. If they love you, you will be very well looked after by both. Both are loyal and when they both commit to something, they do it to the fullest" Amy prided.

"So tell me more about his mother. You say she is highly religious?" Jane hated people who were religious. While she had her own beliefs, she wasn't a person that liked to push them on others.

"Well…yes and no. She talks it more than she really means it. I mean she may sound conservative, but she has these wild streak moments…sort of like her daughter, Missy. Missy can be one wild-cat if given the chance…I get that feeling about Mama Mary as well. I think she was probably a real pill as a teenager growing up and probably gave Mee-Maw plenty of gray hairs" Amy smiled thinking about the three women. She really does love them.

"Mama Mary?" Jane asked, almost more sarcastically, as if offended.

"Yes. I kept calling her Mrs. Cooper and she asked me to call her Mama. When I winced a little because it seems kind of strange calling her Mama, then suggested Mama Mary. It seemed to work and so I call her that."

"I get the feeling she is one of those people that mother hen everyone" Jane opined.

"Not really, but she is very motherly. As I said, she is very warm and her home reflects that. It is a home that you can tell is full of love and Sheldon has been deeply loved by all three women. His brother wasn't there long enough for me to formulate an opinion of him. He was pleasant, but seemed much darker, less happy" Amy pondered.

"I was not aware Sheldon had an older sibling. So he has an older brother. And they are not close?"

"Well they are and they aren't. They love each other like crazy and are protective of each other, but as brothers, they are rivals as well. All that testosterone I guess" Amy giggled.

"Yes, brothers can be quite competitive…just like sisters can be" Jane reflected. "Susan and I used to be so competitive that we literally could not stand to be in the same room with each other. But as we grew older, there wasn't as much to compete about. Life gave us what it gave us and we learned to appreciate each other. I guess Sheldon might be that way with his older brother."

"Perhaps. I think his older brother is more similar to his father, but that is based only on hearsay since I never met his father who died when Sheldon was much younger" Amy continued. She pulled up into a drive of the bridal store "Here we are."

Sheldon made a call to Angus before it was too late.

"Aye, Laddie. So good to hear from you.

"I have a favor to ask" Sheldon started. "I need you to try and bring for both you and myself…." He proceeded to give him a description of what he wanted.

"Aye, that can be done. I can definitely arrive with what you want. I am honored. You just made me very happy indeed."

"Thank you. I am very happy as well. I really can't speak much longer. I will email you information you may need to acquire what I requested. I just wanted to make the request before your trip to the US. Have a safe flight if I don't speak to you before then and I will see you on the 12th."

"Goodnight, Laddie. Yes, I look forward to it."

They ended the call and Sheldon slipped out at lunch to make a purchase he wanted to get before the evening. If time permitted, he would make use of it.

Amy changed into the gown so that the seamstress could check how the alterations seemed to have gone. She slipped on the heels that she had purchased to go with the gown…then stepped out to the surround mirror area to look at the effect. Jane had been sitting on a settee when she saw Amy walk out of the dressing area and her breath hitched. Amy looked stunning.

"Oh Amy, it is just beautiful. I absolutely adore the gown. You look stunning and it becomes you" Jane was really pleased with the selection. "Sheldon will be a very happy man when he sees you in this."

"I am glad you approve. I loved it the moment I saw it. It does look good, huh? I think I look good in it" Amy said as she kept looking behind her and in all the mirrors.

After alterations and lunch, Amy dropped Jane back to the mansion. Jane did confirm that she and Winston would be attending the banquet. Amy made sure to let them know that their tickets were not sitting near Sheldon and her, but that she was pleased they could come. They said their goodbyes and Amy head back to work.

She entered the building to her lab and before she could even get to the hallway that led to the lab, Sheldon called.

"Hey, Cuddles, how has your day been?"

"Hey, Beautiful. Very well, thank you. I managed to get a lot more completed on the paper I am working on for submission and should be in great shape by this evening. How did your fitting go and things go with Jane?"

"The gown is perfect and is ready for me to pick up. I am going to have Bernie pick it up for me and keep it at her apartment. I don't want you peeking until I come down the aisle" Amy teased. "Mother was actually very pleased with the gown and we had a rather innocuous lunch. It was mainly small talk and not much else. But at least it wasn't bad. She said they would come tonight."

"Good. I am glad that nothing bothered you. I was hoping she would be on good behavior. I miss you."

"I miss you too."

"So what are we working on tonight? You said you needed my help."

"I'll explain it better when you get here, but we are going to do some data correlations." Amy was hoping they would get through them more quickly if the two of them could get through them so that she could spend some time in his arms before they had to dress for the banquet.

"Well I'm your man!" Sheldon teased.

"Yes indeed you are and quite a man at that. Right now I would like nothing better than to be playing with your manhood" she taunted right back.

"Woman, you had better stop that or I might march right over and take you right there in that primate lab of yours in front of all those monkeys" he warned.

She giggled and then said "Stop it! Now I am going to have visions of us doing it in front of the monkeys in my head."

Amy's phone beeped that she had another call coming in "Cuddles, I have someone calling me. I'll see you soon. Love you."

"Yes, soon…love you" Sheldon replied before she disconnected the call.

"Dr. Fowler."

"Ames, it's Penny. What are the plans for getting to the DC Pavilion? Are we coming by to pick you guys up or are we meeting you there? Did you want to come here to get ready?" Penny's ankle had recovered and her ribs were almost healed.

"Bestie, I have to stay late to correlate some data so we will have to meet you there. Sheldon is coming by the lab to help me get through the data faster so we won't be late."

"You better not be late, you are the guest of honor!" Penny was shocked that Amy would even think about being late to such an event.

"Well, I won't be. But we will see you there, okay?"

"Okay. Did you want to go out after?"

"Maybe, but not too late. I have to work again tomorrow" Amy replied.

"Sounds good. See you tonight. Congratulations again!" and they disconnected the call.

About an hour later, Amy knew Sheldon would be coming around 4 and it was about five minutes until 4. She unbuttoned her blouse and slipped it off of her, as well as her skirt. She was wearing a thong and a lacey bra and her lab coat which she buttoned to the top button.

Sheldon showed up around 4:00 PM to the lab. He and Amy went through the numbers fairly quickly. He was determined to get the work over so they could have time to play. They ate quickly while they worked on correlating the data. Upon the last set of data, once they completed the entry results, he grabbed hold of her and began to kiss her passionately. He danced her over to the door and locked it. He turned off the light, danced her to the counter where they usually ate lunch since it was clear of any glassware, and placed her up on the counter.

Amy hadn't worn tights for which he was thankful. He lifted up her lab coat and discovered she had only underwear on. "I hope you changed right before I came otherwise I might have an issue with your lab attire when I am not around" he commented.

"I felt you might like a little surprise" she teased.

He pulled own her thong panties she had worn. "I like these, they show off your buttocks, which you know I am quite fond of" he noted. "Make sure to wear these again when you are just wearing underwear in the house. That way I can get a good view."

Amy just giggled. He continued to pull them off of her and kissed her passionately, while his hands fondled her crotch. He then, unbuttoned her lab coat and unhooked her bra, flicking it aside with the coat. Her breasts were perky and so pink and he just could not resist them either. He began to fondle and suck on them while still fondling her pubic area. Keeping one hand up on her breasts and playing with her nipples, tweaking them and squeezing them, he kissed her all the way down to her crotch and began to penetrate her with his tongue. He continued to work her until she released. He then moved his fingers back inside of her and worked back up to her breasts and sucked and nipped her nipples while penetrating her to orgasm a second time. She was loving this laboratory sex. He removed his fingers and unbuckled, pulling down his pants and underwear in once swift move, and climbed up on the lab surface, laying her down and continued to make out with her as he slipped inside of her. He thrust deeper and deeper as she raised her legs higher and higher giving him more access. Panting, moaning, groaning and finally screams came with their joint release.

After a while, he rolled off of her and said "And, that my dear wife, is how you correlate data."

She giggled as she put her clothes back on. But she couldn't find her thong. She searched and asked Sheldon "What did you do with my panties?"

"They are tucked away fine in my pocket. You won't need them driving home. I like the idea of knowing you are sitting there where no one else but me knows you are completely nude under your skirt" he teased. "Let's leave your car here and just take my car. I will drop you off in the morning."

With that they left the lab and head home to ready themselves for the banquet. Amy felt weird all the way home without any underwear, but then she figured that a thong wasn't that much coverage anyway so she shrugged it off. She had expected Sheldon might attempt something under her skirt while he drove, but sadly he didn't. It wasn't as if it hadn't crossed his mind though. But then he worried other drivers might be able to get a glimpse of his wife's body and he didn't like that idea. That was for him and him only.

The two of them showered and began dressing for the night. Amy's gown was a deep blue chiffon dress that flowed. It has sheer sleeves and a sweetheart style neckline, that was very form fitting at the bust line all the way to the waist A-line from there out. She wore the necklace Mee-Maw had given her on Christmas because it went so well with the gown. Her hair was up in a soft up-do that almost was like a pony tail of curls cascading to her neckline. Her tiara from Sheldon was the only hair adornment. She wore drop earrings that were long in length that were long strands of faux-diamonds. Her make-up was done in darker peach tones and peach bronzers, with a soft pink- peach lip gloss. Her eyes were done in a dramatic smoky eye, and she wore contacts.

Sheldon came out from the dressing area in the closet, dressed in his navy blue suit he had worn at Christmas, still the soft blue shirt and diamond studs for his shirt sleeves. His tie was a geometric pattern in darker blue, lighter blue, black, and silver lines. It was really very Sheldon-y. He was polished and looked breathtaking. Taking one look at Amy for the first time all dressed up his breath hitched. He could not even breathe she was so beautiful.

"Sheldon, as Doris Day would say about Rock Hudson in _Pillow Talk_, I say to you…_what a marvelous looking man_" she teased. "I always thought that was the dumbest saying, that is, until I look at you tonight. You are so handsome that I don't know if I can sit through this thing without wanting to tear your clothes off and take you right there in front of everyone."

Sheldon started to talk and could only squeak upon the first attempt "I…..I….Uhem" he finally cleared his throat "You totally take my breath away. I couldn't even speak until now. But you are absolutely gorgeous. I am going to have to watch you like a hawk all night long. Other men will be trying to have their way with you" he began to frown at the idea.

"Don't think of it that way, think of it that they will be jealous of what you get to take home that they don't" she teased him back.

"Good point. I can't wait until to bring you home though" he admitted. "Well, shall we?"

They left for the banquet and met up with Leonard and Penny. Penny was dressed in a hot pink gown, that had a slit almost up to the top of her thigh. It was form fitting and strapless. Her breasts were captured in a very small bodice that held them in with lifts, accentuating them. The fabric was more of a lycra. Her hair was up in a sloppy up-do, that still looked dressy and sexy somehow. Overall, Amy was all elegance and beauty, while Penny's dress was a bit on the slutty side, but as only she could pull off, somehow making it seem less slutty. Leonard had on a deep wine colored shirt with a black suit. He looked perfectly fit to Penny's dress.

"Ames, you are amazing. You really are beautiful" Penny said. She thought Amy was truly stunning.

"Amy, you are beautiful. Wow, I had no idea you had such a nice figure" Leonard said ogling her. He had never really seen Amy look so hot. As much as he loved Penny, he couldn't take his eyes off of Amy.

"I would ask you to quit eying Amy like that" Sheldon warned. "Of course she is beautiful, but she is also mine and I don't want you to forget it."

"And Penny is mine, and she too is beautiful" Leonard said, nestling up to her and giving her a nibble on her ear. She giggled and kissed him.

"Penny looks the way she always looks" Sheldon didn't think she looked anything special. He never really cared for the way Penny dressed and felt that her body was too manufactured looking for his taste.

"Oh come on Sheldon, you know Penny looks lovely" Amy spoke up knowing that Penny would go all junior rodeo on him.

"Well she is has more covered below, but her top is like always" he shrugged. "Besides, I would rather look at you" he said as he leaned down to kiss her.

Penny just shrugged, realizing that was the best she would likely ever get from him. He wasn't much on compliments, at least not to her.

They took their seats and sat through a long introduction. Amy was then called upon stage to be given her award. As she took the stage, Sheldon stood up and clapped the loudest of all the people around them and his eyes welled up with tears of pride. Penny noted it and realized that Sheldon really did love Amy with all his heart. She could see his love ran deep. "You really do love her, don't you? I can see the pride in your face you have for her" Penny leaned over and whispered.

He could only nod, wiping tears from his eyes. He pulled out his camera to be true to his word to Angus. He began to run video so that Angus could see her. He would make sure to get closer up shots of her when she walked back to her seat next to him.

Amy gave a speech and thanked Sheldon for his support. She could see Winston and Jane and smiled down at them and thanked her parents for the years of support, putting her through school then she thanked her assistants and a lot of other folks, including her friends. But most of the time she was on stage, her eyes were completely on Sheldon. They were welled up and that made her eyes sparkle all the more. Many pictures were taken of her to put in all the media as well. As she left the stage, Sheldon got a close up segment of her. Amy and Sheldon said goodnight to Leonard and Penny and quickly exited the building. They really wanted to get home and just enjoy each other.


	39. Chapter 39: Surprise!

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: Sorry I didn't do an update yesterday. I had a very busy day. Hopefully the past chapters were worthy of a second read-through to keep your minds occupied and keep you smut-happy. LOL! Thank you to guest who leaves reviews as well._

February 12th arrived faster than anyone expected. Sheldon woke up and realized that he just spent the last night sleeping with his wife that he would be allowed to do until after the wedding. He decided he needed to make the best of it during the day, before he had to pick up Angus. He also needed to let Amy know that Angus was coming and how he made a change in wardrobe as well.

Sheldon would be able to sleep in the faux-room for one more night, but then he would be at Leonard's the next night, the night on the eve of his wedding. He had mixed feelings about that. It would be strange going back to his old room. Leonard didn't have a new roommate so the old room was just as he left it, other than having been dusted and kept clean.

Sheldon leaned over and kissed Amy on the cheek, then nibbled on her ear. She had been asleep until he started the nibbling. At first she thought she was dreaming. She started to move her hands down Sheldon's chest and toward his penis. She wanted to arouse him, still eyes closed as if still in a dream.

Sheldon watched her movements with awe. He loved the sensation and watching her touch him that way, so intimately, well he still could not believe it was real, even after all of these times. He loved her so much that it hurt at times and he could not believe that he was finally over so many of his phobias that he could enjoy the pleasure of being with her…and oh did she pleasure him.

His body reacted to her ministrations and he began to grow into full erection, pre-ejaculate and all. Amy began to pump him and as she did, he watched for a bit, enjoying seeing her masturbate him, but then he had to kiss her. He began to kiss her and the kiss lead into deeper and more passionate kissing. She was awake now, but eyes still closed. She kept pumping him as she kissed him passionately. He began to work his way to her breasts and licked her nipples, which he nibbled on and sucked, while massaging the other breast with his hands.

He was close to release, but he wanted to release in her, so he pulled her hand away and rolled her over. He fingered her at first, wanting to enjoy her wetness. Moving down he began to taste her and penetrate her with his tongue. He moved in a way that she could taste him at the same time. They enjoyed giving each other oral penetration. Amy had released a couple of times and Sheldon had wanted to release but would pull out before to extend the pleasure.

Flipping back around, Sheldon then rolled on top of Amy and entered her. The two were so close to orgasm when the doorbell rang.

Sheldon darted up, pulling away from her and said "Drats! Who could that be at this hour in the morning?"

"I have no idea. Let's ignore them. Just pretend we didn't hear them…that we slept through" Amy tried to continue their love-making session.

"But anyone that knows us, is aware I have Vulcan hearing and that my supposed room is closest to the door. I had better throw on some PJ's and a robe and go see who it is" Sheldon said, realizing what a buzz kill this person was. "I am going to give them a piece of my mind for showing up so early!"

Amy rolled over and helped him pull things together as the bell rang again. Neither of them were happy campers. They had looked forward to a whole morning and early afternoon in bed, making love over and over knowing it would be the last time they could do it before they were announced man and wife, again, on the 14th.

"Don't forget to mess up the bed downstairs…you were supposed to be getting out of it" Amy warned. "Go the long way around to get to your room so they don't see you through that little window next to the door."

"Right" Sheldon went down the stairs as fast as he could without trying to make noise so it could not be heard. He then went through the living room, dining room, kitchen and down the hall from there to the faux-room. Taking the covers he tried to make them look like he had slept there as best he could, even messing it up by being on all-fours. He remembered that his sleep mask was in the nightstand drawer and pulled it out and laid it aside his pillow, like he had just taken it off.

Finally, answering the door, he pretended to wipe sleep from his eyes, stretched and yawned as he opened the door for effect. He was shocked at who was standing there in front of him and gulped, "What are you doing here?"

"Why Shelly, you knew I was comin' in today. What took you so long anyway? Surprise! I brought Mom and Mee-Maw with me. Sugar, are you gonna let us in?" Missy said, standing there with Mary and Mee-Maw.

"I thought you were coming in late this afternoon" Sheldon said, running his fingers through his head and was glad he managed to be dressed, but was more annoyed than anything, because he could have been caught interrupting what was a very pleasurable moment. How he wished they would all go away at least until later in the day.

"Shellybean, dear, is there a reason you don't want to invite us in?" Mary eyed him with suspicion.

"No, no" he said as he stepped aside letting them come in. "I was just surprised to see you is all, especially this early in the morning. I don't even know if Amy is up yet. I presume she has heard the ruckus down here by now."

"Sugar, we just wanted to surprise you and so we all took a super early flight to get here to take you and Amy to breakfast" Missy said, like a Cheshire cat. She had her own suspicions about the sleeping arrangements going on between her brother and Amy, and she thought if they got there and surprised him, it would be delicious seeing him have to worm out of explaining to his mother why he was sinnin'.

Amy was upstairs and heard the women's voices. She knew exactly who they were and knew Sheldon was not going to be happy they had arrived so early. She was trying to figure out what to do. Should she play dumb and pretend to be sleeping, or should she get up and dressed and go down. She opted to do the latter, so went to shower and dress.

"Mee-Maw, why don't you come over here and sit down. I am sure you are tired" Sheldon offered a chair in the living room for her. "You too, Mom, come sit and enjoy the room. I will put on a fire." He glared at Missy and said "I have no problem with you coming early, but you should have told me so that I could have my room cleaned up." Inside he was sitting there thinking to himself "jokes on you" because he knew exactly what his twin was up to.

"Where is your room, Shelly?" Missy wasn't convinced quite yet.

"It's over there" he said pointing to the room he had made sure looked lived-in. "But you will be staying with Penny while here. She said she wanted you to stay there and quite frankly I don't have room for you here" he said. "Mee-Maw will be sleeping in my room and Mom, downstairs in the fold-out couch."

"And just where will you be sleepin' tonight, Shelly?" Missy's eyes sparkling with mischief.

"In my old bed at Leonard's apartment" Sheldon said, sighing, wishing his plans had not been foiled. He would have to call Leonard and give him the news.

"Sugar, don't you have another spare room? Why do I have to stay at Penny's?"

"That is for my surprise guest which I have not been able to speak to Amy about. I better check on her and let her know about him before he gets here. Thank you very much for making my day already full of chaos" Sheldon grumbled.

"Mom, Mee-Maw, I am going to go wake up Amy and I need to tell her about my surprise guest, so I will be a few minutes. When I come back down, we will get breakfast started for you" Sheldon informed.

"Shellybean, I don't like you goin' up to her room and takin' some time in there. Can't you talk to her elsewhere?"

"All right. I will ask her to join me in the kitchen and talk to her there, but I need it to be a private conversation as it involves her family situation" Sheldon relented. "Satisfied?"

"Yes, I suppose so." Mary wasn't happy about his attitude, but she knew it wasn't a great idea to show up unannounced like they did. Missy was supposed to arrive later in the day and she and Mee-Maw were supposed to arrive the next day and she knew that this was a bit of an inconvenience. She felt rather guilty about it.

Sheldon ran up the stairs and knocked on the bedroom door.

Knock, knock, knock "Amy?" Knock, knock, knock "Amy?" Knock, knock, knock "Amy?"

"Sheldon, I was just getting dressed. I thought I heard someone downstairs" Amy played along as she answered the door. "Let me just get my cardigan, then I will be done" she winked at him as she went off to get her sweater.

They came down together, she fully dressed. She had managed to complete her morning ablutions before dressing.

"Ohhhhh…what a wonderful surprise!" she exclaimed, even though part of her wished they had not shown up yet, she truly was happy to see the women. She gave them all hugs. "Let me get coffee started and I will bring you a cup. Just enjoy the room. Once we have had breakfast, we will take you on a tour of the home" Amy offered. "Sheldon, why don't you build a fire."

"Right, I was just about to get to that, but I need to talk to you about something as well. I will help you in the kitchen once the fire is going."

Amy head off to the kitchen to make coffee and start on breakfast. Sheldon loaded up the fireplace and began the task of building the fire. Once it was at a reasonably healthy start, he went back to the kitchen to join Amy.

"I'm sorry, Beautiful. This wasn't how I had planned our day to be" Sheldon apologized, feeling bad that everything was so upside down from what he had planned. "I really need to talk to you about something. I need to do it before breakfast. Come, sit with me out on the porch" he suggested.

Both took cups of tea out with them and sat on the porch. The sun was up, but there was definitely a chill in the air. It wasn't a place he wanted to be sitting too long. "I have another surprise for you and hope you won't be upset with me when I explain it" Sheldon started.

"Why would I be upset?" Amy frowned. She was confused.

Sighing he began "You may not be aware of this, but I have been speaking with your maternal grandfather, Angus."

"You have? Why didn't you tell me?" Amy was really taken off guard. She had not expected him to have done something without talking to her first about her family.

"I am getting to that. I got this idea, after the letter he sent you and decided to Skype him. It ends up that I found him to be quite a reputable man and one that seemed passionate…about his work and his family. I wanted to see if he had any information that might shed light on your family history. He does, of course, but we both decided we would talk about that in the future." Sheldon paused to make sure she was still on board and not upset.

"I am still not sure I fully understand, but proceed" Amy said, still frowning slightly.

"I had an idea that I would like to bring Angus over here to attend the wedding. I thought it would be nice…since he lost out on so much of your life and you lost out on that whole side of the family…I thought it would be nice for him to be able to escort you down the aisle."

"You what?" Amy's eyes opened wide and she wasn't sure how she felt about it. Sure she was happy to finally meet someone from her mother's side of the family and she thought it was sweet for Sheldon to screen him, so to speak, and make sure he was a reasonable person, but to ask him to escort her…she wasn't so sure about that one.

"I can see that I may have upset you. I am sorry." Sheldon felt bad. He really should have talked to her instead of sprung this on her, especially so soon to the wedding. "I thought, since you were upset with your father, that it would be nice to have your grandfather escort you. It would be a moment you both could cherish; especially given he is elderly and has lost out on so much of your life."

Amy considered this for a few moments. "Sheldon, don't you think that would be sort of a slap in my father's face? I may be upset with him, but don't want to hurt him."

Sheldon had not really considered that and pondered it. "I guess I didn't think that through. I think my failure on social skills is seeping through." He shrugged and became timid, feeling a bit guilty.

Amy thought a bit longer, not wanting to hurt Sheldon, who really did think he was doing something wonderful. "I guess we can talk about it before rehearsal tomorrow with Grandfather. I don't object to him walking me down the aisle, but not at the expense of hurting my father. Maybe I can try and explain to my father that you surprised me with this and we thought it best to proceed with your plan since Grandfather would be coming a long way to do the honor."

"If you would like, I can speak with your father and explain it was something I arranged. I can let him know that I am not the best with understanding emotions and had not considered it might upset him and apologize to him about it" Sheldon offered. He really did want to smooth this over.

"I think we should tell him together. We will try to find time today to drop by and explain" Amy suggested.

"Okay. Thank you for not being angry with me."

"I could never stay angry at you. You were doing what you thought would be a wonderful surprise and I am grateful that I will get to meet my Grandfather."

Sheldon pulled her into a passionate kiss, rubbing his hands on her bottom as he did. Just then, of course as luck would have it, Mary walked in. "Sheldon Lee Cooper, you do not touch a woman like that until you put that ring on her finger!"

The couple jumped apart, looking rather sheepish from being caught doing…what was it exactly that they were doing that was so bad? They really didn't know.

"Mama Mary, coffee is ready. I will have Sheldon bring it in while I start breakfast" Amy took charge.

"Does Missy want a cup?" Sheldon asked.

"I don't know. You can ask her yourself when you bring our cups to us." Mary said, still a bit put out about what she had witnessed. She went back to join the other women.

Sheldon took down two cups and poured the coffee, bringing it into the living room. Handing Mee-Maw her cup, then Mary hers, he asked Missy "would you like a cup?"

"Unless it has some Kahlua in it, probably not…..On second thought, yes, but put loads of sugar and some cream in it" Missy ordered.

Sheldon went back and poured a third cup and added two teaspoons of sugar and put a little cream in it. Returning he joined the women. "Amy said breakfast won't be long. I needed to tell her about her Grandfather. I have informed her of his arrival later this evening. He flew over from Scotland and will be walking her down the aisle. It was my surprise for her."

"Oh Moonpie, that is very sweet of you. So her Grandfather will be arriving this evening?" Mee-Maw spoke up.

"I don't think it is very considerate to have invited him without her knowledge. Shelly, I thought I raised you to be smarter than that" Mary huffed. She was very out of sorts with him leaving them for so long in the living room by themselves without anything until he brought the coffee. She also didn't like the fact that he seemed so familiar with Amy. It made her start to wonder just how familiar they were with each other.

"Mom, she is happy he is coming, so there!" Sheldon pouted like a little boy. "Mee-Maw, he will be arriving around 4:30 this preevening. I have to pick him up at the airport and he will be staying in the guest room."

"Moonpie, your mother and I wish to stay in a hotel. We have to move to one there for the day of the wedding anyway, so why not make it easier on everyone and let us stay there" Mee-Maw insisted.

"I will as long as you let me pay for the rooms" Sheldon agreed. I don't want you paying for rooms, when I wanted you both here anyway" Sheldon insisted.

"Shellybean, I really don't mind sleeping downstairs. I am fine by that" Mary tried to insist.

"Mary, dear, these kids have chaotic days ahead. There is Amy's shower, the rehearsal, and rehearsal dinner and then there is the wedding day itself. They have plenty on their plates without trying to play host to us" Mee-Maw laid down the law of the land.

"Fine, I guess you are right" Mary relented.

"Well you don't have to move over to the hotel right away. First, let's have some breakfast and a house tour, although my bedroom isn't clean…I was not expecting to be awakened so early."

"I'll just bet, Shelly. I just wanted to see if we could catch you and Amy…you know…in a compromisin' position" Missy's eyes twinkled. She was so mischievous.

"Well, as you can see you didn't, so I guess your mission failed" Sheldon glared. Little did she know, she had, but Sheldon was never going to admit that.

"BREAKFAST" Amy yelled from the kitchen. "Sheldon, have everyone sit in the dining room." Amy had set the dining room table beautifully, using the china, complete with chargers and placemats under the plates, and crystal glasses, silverware, cloth napkins and a beautiful centerpiece. She had candles lit and it was really lovely. Each setting had two glasses, one that was a champagne flute and the other a water glass in the shape of a larger wine glass. The flutes all had mimosas already made and ready to drink. Each one had a small slice of orange on it for décor, and one cranberry that floated to give it extra punch. Amy had made French toast for breakfast with cranberry-orange sauce and whipped cream, bacon, and hash-brown potatoes. It truly was a wonderful and festive table.

Everyone assembled and sat down, Mary said grace. "These are delicious!" Mary said. "Shelly, you really got yourself one heck of a cook there." She was very impressed. Not only did it taste good, but it looked fabulous.

"Sugar, you hang on to this girl. She will fatten you up to where you finally will look like a man instead of a stick figure" Missy teased.

"Amy, dear, it is beautiful, the food, the presentation, and the table. It has been truly a delight" Mee-Maw said.

"Of course it is…Amy excels at everything!" Sheldon exclaimed as if it was common news to everyone.

"So, Sugar, is everything ready….I mean for the weddin'" Mary asked.

"Yes, Rajesh has done a wonderful job in taking over a lot of the planning and preparation, which has made my role a lot less stressful" Amy replied.

"Well tonight…we are havin' a shower for you, Sugar…and no boys allowed. We have a few little surprises for Shelly…if you know what I mean" Missy nudged Amy and winked.

Sheldon's raised his brows and looked like he was very interested in what they might have bought. He knew it probably would be something he was going to get the benefit of enjoying and could not wait to have Amy model.

"Calm down there, Shelly. You only have to wait two days." Missy pet him like he was needing the attention. "I know you have waited all these years, so a couple of more days ain't gonna kill ya."

"Now Missy, you don't know that is what he has on his mind. Shellybean is a man and has those yearnings, but that don't mean that he isn't in control" Mary defended, even though a part of her really did wonder how in control he really was.

"Excuse me, I can speak for myself and quite frankly am tiring of this conversation. Now I will help Amy clean up the table and we will join you soon and show you the house" Sheldon started picking up plates and stacking them to take to the kitchen.

Since they had eaten on china and used crystal and silverware, they hand washed everything. Amy washed and Sheldon dried. Once they were done, they rejoined the women in the living room. Taking them around the house on a tour, the women were in awe of the splendor of the home. They really were impressed and thrilled for the couple. Since it had warmed up to a reasonable temperature, they took the women out on the patio to enjoy the sun and the garden.

"So what is on the agenda today?" Sheldon asked.

"The ladies are throwing Amy a shower this evening at Bernadette's apartment. She has already picked up Amy's gown" Missy updated. "So we are here to help in other ways. What do you need done and we are here to do it?"

"I believe Rajesh could probably use your help, Missy. He has a lot of things he is doing today." Amy commented.

"Speaking of Rajesh…hands off of him; he is involved with my assistant, Alex" Sheldon warned.

"Now Sugar, what makes you think I am here to stir up trouble, although if you give me such a challenge, I might just have to see what I can do" Missy teased.

"Melissa Grace, I am not challenging you and you will leave Raj alone. He is happy for the first time in a long time and I don't want you messing with my friend" Sheldon commanded, scowling at her.

"Cool your jets, Sugar, I am just playing with ya" Missy reassured. "So, Amy, what time are our appointments tomorrow?"

"They are at 9 AM. We have to be done by noon at the latest so we made them early. I have to be at the chapel to dress and then there are pictures before and after the ceremony" Amy informed.

"So we don't have anything in particular to do today?" Missy was rather surprised.

"I don't, but I am sure Rajesh has some tasks. Let me text him and see what the status of things are." Amy left the patio to go up to her room to grab her cell phone where she left it. She decided to call him instead and she also wanted to alert Alex to watch out for Missy.

Raj assured her that everything was under control and that he didn't need Missy's help….but then he asked if Missy could pick up the champagne that he ordered for the reception at the liquor store and verify with the store the time they will be sending one of their clerks to come bartend the event. Since everything had been paid for, Amy agreed to pass on the message.

"How are things with you and Alex?" Amy asked.

"Good. She is so amazing and I am so happy" Raj replied.

"Well just watch out with Missy while she is here. I love her, Raj, but she can be trouble, especially in your case" Amy warned.

"I know. I get all giddy when she pays attention because she is so beautiful. I am susceptible to her flirtations. I am going to have to watch myself" Raj conceded.

"Good, as long as you are aware, you can be on your toes. I have to run now. I will see you tomorrow at rehearsal. Thank you for all your hard work" Amy ended the call.

Amy called Alex.

"Dr. Cooper's office, this is Alex speaking."

"Good morning, Alexandra. This is Amy Farrah Fowler."

"Dr. Fowler, good morning. What can I do for you?" Alex asked.

"I just wanted you to know that Sheldon's twin sister is in town. She and Rajesh have had an on again off again flirtation and I wanted you to be aware so you can be on alert. She is lovely and I love her dearly, but she can be very clever in finding ways to stir up the pot. She doesn't mean harm, but loves mischief" Amy informed.

"Oh, wow…really? So, do you think Raj still has a thing for her?" Fear came through in Alex's voice.

"No, not at all, but she has a way of getting what she wants from anyone, male or female" Amy stated. "Just be on the lookout. She knows that Raj is taken and that you two are dating, but that just might give her incentive to stir things up."

"Umm…okay. I have to admit, it makes me a little uncomfortable…I am not sure what to expect" Alex admitted.

"Don't worry, Sheldon and I will be keeping a close eye on her and I have already warned Raj."

"Okay, well thank you. Is there anything else you needed?"

"No, that was it. I will see you later this evening…at the shower that is?"

"Yes, I will be there. I will see you then." Alex said, ending the call.


	40. Chapter 40: Angus Arrives!

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

A few hours later, Sheldon had contacted Leonard and arranged that he would be staying there an extra night and he arranged for Missy to stay at Penny's. But he did some further planning and setting-up as well. He wanted everything perfect, so he arranged it all himself.

Amy arrived at Bernadette's where all the women from both sides of the family, Penny, Bernie and Alex were, as well as some of her closer women colleagues. Amy was thankful that Bernadette was more in charge than Penny with the party so that they didn't play stupid games, but instead still got to play their traditional Travel Twister game. She was also glad they didn't force a bachelorette party or strippers on her. After the usual early chatter and treats, it was time to open presents. Amy was surprised at the things she got, some very embarrassing, especially in front of Mee-Maw, Mary and Jane. She was even given a vibrator and a book on Kama Sutra. But what surprised her even more were the racy things she received from all three of them. Of course, Jane and Mary were claiming it was to help entice Sheldon into baby making. They wanted grandchildren.

During the bridal shower, Sheldon went to the airport to pick up Angus and bring him to their House. He managed to get Angus settled in. The two men talked for a couple of hours before Angus excused himself for bed. He would like to have seen Amy, but was really tired from the international flight and could not wait to sleep. Sheldon was pleased about this. He explained that he had to be somewhere for a while and that the house would be quiet.

After Amy had finished opening gifts, the women were just chatting and drinking sparkling juice. Amy had requested it not have any alcohol because she was concerned about Penny and didn't want her to be tempted. While she was talking to Penny and Alex, her phone buzzed and she looked. It was a message from Sheldon. "_Meet me at Leonard's after your shower and don't tell anyone where you are going. Just say you have plans_." Amy typed back that she would be there in ten minutes because everyone was leaving.

The girls helped her load up her car with her shower gifts and with all of her thank you's, she was gone. Mary had driven the rental car that Missy rented back to the hotel with Mee-Maw and Missy went home with Penny.

Arriving at 2311 Los Robles, Amy was surprised to find Sheldon down in the lobby. He told her to be very quiet as they went up the stairs and to try and not make any noise. He didn't want Penny or Missy to see them. Amy complied. Going all the way up to the roof, Sheldon led Amy to a beautiful setting. It had twinkly lights enough to see a little, but dark enough to be private. There was a makeshift area that had an air mattress and bedding with pillows all around it. There were flowers everywhere as well. It was very romantic.

"Sheldon, this is beautiful….ummm…is that what I think it is?" She asked pointing at the mattress.

"Shhh…no questions, just let me dance with you." Sheldon replied as he took her hand in his and began to dance her around the rooftop. He danced her over next to the mattress and began to kiss her passionately. When he drew back he whispered "I believe we have unfinished business from this morning so I propose we finish what we started" he teased.

Amy nodded and began to pull his shirts over his head and play with his buckle. He already slipped her sweater off and her blouse off and started pulling her skirt over her hips. He again was thankful she had not worn tights to the shower. Within seconds the couple was standing there in their underwear. Sheldon again took her hand and began to dance her around in their underwear and then guided them over to the mattress. They knelt down on it and began to caress each other intimately.

Sheldon's erection protruding, helped Amy get very wet. She took the waistband of his briefs and pulled them over his hard shaft, pulling them down off of him. He did the same with her, unhooking her hot lacy bra that was aqua with black lace and matching thong panties. He loved that she remembered to wear a thong.

Amy began to orally take Sheldon. He moaned and leaned back on his hands as she engulfed him, deeper and deeper. He thought it was erotic watching her and seeing her breasts jiggle as she pumped him. Something about the way she moved was beyond exciting. He found he was getting too close to release so pulled her away and gently laid her down on the mattress as he entered her. Caressing, kissing, hands moving all over, tweaking nipples, nibbling ears, and fingering her, in between the times he withdrew and re-entered her, he managed to make their love-making session last at least an hour. When they released together it was in multiple waves and it was definitely one for the books.

After catching their breaths, Sheldon said to Amy "I love you…I don't want you to leave for a while" as he pulled up a blanket over them to keep off any chill.

Amy found it erotic to be in such a public place, totally naked and making-love where helicopters or planes could fly over. She found it titillating indeed. "Sheldon, what if Penny wants to show Missy the rooftop or something?"

"Penny never comes up here without Leonard. She won't show it to Missy."

Amy hoped he was right. She just enjoyed cuddling with him and the afterglow of their intimate moments. As they lie there, Sheldon began to play with her breasts again, outlining the nipples and squeezing them. Amy began to kiss his neck and nibble on his ears, and reached down to play with his penis. Within moments, he became erect again and she was hot and moist. Kissing each other passionately, they went for another round of making love. They had just released and were trying to bring their breathing to a slower pace, when they heard the handle of the door to the rooftop start to jiggle. Sheldon heard two female voices and one male voice standing at the door, appearing to be in a bit of an argument about…well it didn't matter what it was about.

"Crap! What are we going to do?" Amy asked. She scrambled around to try and find some of her things to throw over her. She got her skirt up, minus panties, and her blouse on, minus bra. Sheldon managed to get his shirts on and pants on, minus briefs. They gathered the underwear quickly and tried to find a place to hide not only their underwear, but themselves.

Whispering, Sheldon said, "My hearing will tell me which direction they go when they come up here. We will try and sneak around the other way and run down the stairs without them seeing us. Make sure to keep holding my hand until we get at least a flight down the stairs." Amy nodded her consent. Holding hands they listened.

Within seconds the door opened and the arguing continued. Evidently Missy had managed to get Penny some alcohol and now both girls were very drunk. Leonard was trying to bring them up on the roof to get them to face cold air and try and sober up. The girls wanted to party some more downstairs. He literally had to drag both of them along.

Sheldon could tell they were headed one direction so he and Amy quietly snuck around and found the door had not completely closed yet so they opened it just enough to get through then Sheldon made sure it slammed shut, as if from when Leonard and the girls came up. Once he slammed the door, Amy and Sheldon ran as quickly as they could down the stairs. They got all the way down to the lobby.

"Crap, I left my sweater up there" Amy said.

"I will try and get it after they leave. You had better head back home. Angus is there and asleep. I will be by first thing in the morning so that you two can meet, but I need you to go now." He kissed her passionately one last time and then she took off. He then ascended back up to Leonard's apartment and let himself in and went to his old bedroom. Taking off his pants, he slipped on underwear and pajamas and climbed into bed. Even if they found Amy's sweater, he came up with a plan on how to cover about it being there.

"Oh Leonard-Wenard, what is this? Are you wanting a three-some?" Penny asked, drunker than a skunk and eyeing the air mattress. "Missy, I love you and you are my home girl, but there is no way I am having sex with you."

"Sugar, I ain't gonna have sex with either of you. I might kiss you, but not have sex with you" and the two girls started laughing.

"Penny, stop it! I have no intention of having sex up here with either of you and definitely no three-some. Now you girls need to walk around this rooftop and sober up" Leonard tried to get them to behave.

"Ah Leonard, don't be such a spoiled sport, you know you want these two hot bodies" Penny said as she started to pull her blouse up over her head. "Cummon, home girl, let's show this boy some action" Penny was a lousy drunk. She always got super horny when she drank. She went over to Missy and pulled her blouse over her head too. The two women stood there, breasts protruding from their push-up bras. Penny's was made of lace so you could get hints of her nipples.

Missy was almost as bad as Penny when she got drunk, plus she loved to tease and be naughty. She thought it would be fun to at least taunt Leonard a bit, even though she wasn't really interested in him. She pulled on Penny's shorts, until Penny stepped out of them. Penny had on a thong that was not much more than a g-string.

Leonard went around trying to pick up their clothes and encourage them to put them back on. But it was a losing cause.

Penny pulled Missy's skirt off of her, revealing that she had on a cute pair of panties, that were high cut on the sides, but low waisted. The two girls started to dance around as if erotic dancers, acting like they were into each other as much as Leonard.

Leonard kept trying to gather up strewn about clothes. He saw Amy's sweater and frowned. He didn't remember either girl wearing a sweater, but shrugged figuring he probably just didn't notice. He tried covering up Missy first because he found it disturbing to see Sheldon's sister like that. This was one time he wished Sheldon would actually come up on the roof and help rescue his sister.

Missy kept swatting Penny's bare bottom and the girls would laugh and giggle like crazy. Leonard finally got them to agree to dance around the rooftop with him. He figured if he could get them to dance, it might sober them up faster. Of course the girls were trying to take his clothes off of him. It was good he was sober because he kept out maneuvering them.

"Sugar, you've got one sweet ass. And that thong…oh what I would not give to have one like that" Missy said to Penny.

"If you want them that bad, I can give them to you," Penny said, starting to pull them off, but Leonard managed to get to her in time to pull them back up. "What?" she said, slurring.

"You are not giving Missy your underwear. Stop it!" Leonard replied. "Now put your shorts back on."

"You are such a buzz kill, you know that?" Penny said as she held on to him for stability. Leonard managed to get her shorts back on her.

Sheldon looked at the clock and figured that it had been a while so he put on his robe and slippers and walked back up the stairs to the roof. He opened the door and who should dance in front of him but Missy, in her underwear.

"Melissa Grace Cooper! What in tarnation do you think you are doing?" Sheldon yelled. He had forgotten to come up with an excuse as to why he was up there. He was going to have to think fast.

"Thank God you are up here," Leonard said. "Can you help me get these two back down stairs. I finally got Penny to get her shorts back on, but that was only right before you came up here…speaking of which, why are you up here?"

"How did these girls get so drunk?" Sheldon asked, avoiding the question. He still didn't have an answer. "How long have they been like this running around without clothes on?" Sheldon walked over to Missy and grabbed her arm tightly and said "YOU! NOW!" and pointed to the doorway. "Where are her clothes?"

Leonard held out Missy's clothes along with Amy's sweater. "Here, these are Missy's."

Sheldon took the clothes and drug Missy back down to the fourth floor. He opened the apartment door and pushed Missy inside.

"That ain't my sweater. It looks like Amy's" Missy finally noticed the clothes he was holding. Missy was finally starting to sober up a little, enough to start to put some thoughts together. "Wait…if that is Amy's, then that means you were up there with her." Covering her mouth in shock she slurred "you two were up there having sex! Don't try and deny it. That's her sweater."

"For your information, Amy did leave her sweater here a few months back. I didn't know it was still up there. We were trying to look at a lunar eclipse through Raj's telescope and it was then she left it up there" Sheldon tried to cover. "We thought it was long gone."

"Nuh Uh…She had that same sweater on tonight" Missy's eyes were wide. She realized that she was right and she wasn't sure what she thought about it. "Oh Mama is gonna be so disappointed that her little Shelly sinned."

"I did not sin and stop it!" Sheldon continued with "And I think it is high time you get dressed. If anyone was about to sin, it was you…a three-some? Really? I can't believe you, Melissa. You are better than that. Now put your clothes on. I don't really relish seeing my sister in her underwear." Sheldon said, starting to twitch.

"Quit tryin' to change the subject. So how did her sweater get up there?"

"You were with her most of the night and her grandfather is at the house, so you explain it to me if you are so convinced" Sheldon decided to outplay her.

"Hmmm…that is true." Holding her head, realizing she was going to have one nasty hangover, she finally slurred "I guess you are right. It must have just been a sweater that looked like that one that she had on earlier." She shrugged as Sheldon walked over to the kitchen and poured a glass of water.

"Here, put your clothes on and drink this. I will be right back with some aspirin." He then walked into the bathroom to grab some aspirin. While in there, he grabbed his chest and took a deep breath. "_You got away with it this time Cooper, but you'd better watch out…you only have a day and a half to go now"_ he thought as opened the bottle of aspirin and pulled out two tablets. He decided he was going to have to call on his old friend Kolinahr to help him through the final stretch.

Walking back out he handed Missy two tablets and said "Here take these and make sure to drink all of that water and as many glasses as you can until you are sober."

Missy put on her clothes, but they were backward. Sheldon, at this point didn't care. He was just glad she was more covered up. "I think you should stay on the couch here instead of going back to Penny's. You two seem to bring out the worst in each other."

"Ah Shelly, you are so boring. Penny and I just wanted to have a little fun. So what if we danced around in our undies and teased Leonard about a three-some? It wasn't like I was gonna do it. It was just fun watching him sweat it out."

Leonard finally came in with Penny. Penny looked over at Missy and bust out laughing…"You got your clothes on funny" she said pointing to her.

Missy looked down and started laughing with Penny. "I guess I am just gonna have to have you take them off of me again, Sugar, and you can redress me."

"You will do no such thing!" Sheldon glared at Penny. "Melissa Grace, you go into the bathroom and put your clothes on the correct way."

"He's such a spoiled sport" Missy said as she complied and head for the bathroom.

"Sheldon, I am going to have Penny stay with me tonight. Can you make sure Missy gets back over to Penny's?" Leonard pleaded. He was worn out already from these women.

"Yes, but I want to first go over and pour out any booze that may still be there." Sheldon said as he was half-way to the door. He marched across the hall and entered Penny's apartment. It was a disaster, but he was used to seeing that by now. He found the wine bottles …two were empty and a third was open and partially gone. He drained the bottle in the sink and looked around for any further alcohol. After he realized that he had taken care of the last of it, he took the empty bottles and put them in the recycle bin downstairs. He came back up and went back to the apartment.

"Missy, you get back over to Penny's apartment and get to bed" Sheldon ordered.

"Sugar, you forget who you are dealin' with here" Missy tried to put up a fight.

"You are in no condition and you need to be well rested. Tomorrow is the rehearsal and we all have to get some sleep."

Missy thought about it and finally nodded. She walked across the hall and shut the door. She finally pulled off her skirt and blouse and just went to sleep in her underwear.

Sheldon went back to his room, Leonard and Penny having already gone to bed. He could hear Penny's loud snores and wished he had his headphones. How could he have forgotten to pack them? After another hour of trying to sleep, he was getting more and more agitated instead of closer to sleep. He finally texted Leonard and told him that he couldn't sleep because of Penny's snoring and would go back to the house.

Sheldon didn't even bother to change clothes. Instead, he threw on his jacket and a pair of slacks over his pajama bottoms. He hopped into his SUV and before he started the car texted Amy and told her that he was on his way to the house and why. He got back a text message back…. "Hoo" was all it said. He smiled as he started up the car and decided that perhaps Penny and Missy had done him a favor.

Arriving at the house, Sheldon took off his jacket and hung it up and pulled of the pants that he had put on over his PJ's. He tossed them on a chair in the faux-room. He then climbed up the stairs quietly and opened the master suite door. When he came in, there were a couple of candles lit and Amy in a very, very sexy little number. It was basically a half-bra, meaning her bottom part of breasts only were covered and only covered with a very sheer fabric that had a shimmer to it. The bra had a couple of streamers that lead to a g-string like thong. The ensemble was in a vibrant red color, as were the stilettos on her feet.

"Hubba, hubba" Sheldon said. "I think Penny's snoring did me a favor after all." He tossed aside the sweater of Amy's that he had brought back with him into the bathroom and then engulfed her. Kissing her passionately, he pulled back and whispered "we will have to be quiet. Angus is downstairs. I also need to sneak down before he wakes up, which means I may have to actually sleep down there after we are done here. He may wake up very early."

Amy nodded then drew him back into a passionate kiss. Sheldon loved her ensemble, allowing him to caress her buttocks while still on. He traced the streamers and loved the half bra. He could play with her nipples while her breasts were lifted high from the underwire. Oh he was loving every minute of this new little piece of cloth she had on here that didn't even really cover her. Then there were the heels. He loved those heels. "Lift up your leg" he whispered. She did and he grabbed her ankle and started moving his hands up the leg, both hands, all the way to her crotch. It drove her wild. He then had her roll to where she could put up her other leg and repeated the action. She moaned with delight. He loved hearing her moan.

He pulled off his PJ's and underwear and tossed them aside. Then, he sat on top of her his crotch next to hers. She began to fondle him, even though he was already fully erect. He began to move with her hand motions which were pumping him. He loved it when she touched him so intimately. He knew he had to have her, so he pulled the little g-string thong down and began to enter her, thrusting deep and hard. She lifted her legs above his head, crossing them, her red heels still on her feet. That only encouraged him more because he loved it when she wore the heels. He watched her breasts move in the bra part of her ensemble as he thrust inside of her and found them fascinating. He loved the way they moved. He leaned down and began to suck on them and nibble them. She stifled a cry for when he bit lightly on her nipple; he had thrust so deep and hard in her that she released. She couldn't hold it any longer. The sound of her attempted cry excited him to release.

After a few minutes passed, Sheldon rolled off of her and began to just move his hands over her body. He loved her body, every bit of it. She rolled over on her stomach, bending her knees and crossing her ankles, heels still on. That proceeded to arouse Sheldon again. He looked at her bottom sitting there so sexy and could not help but put his head through her crossed legs and work his way up to lay his chest on her bottom. She finally uncrossed her legs and he worked up so that his groin was lying on her bottom and he was engulfing her in a hug from in back. The feel of her buttocks next to his penis aroused him into an erection. He rolled off of her and brought her back around so that he could kiss her passionately again. After a second round of making-love and recovering, Sheldon re-dressed into his pajamas and head back down to the faux-bedroom. Tomorrow was going to come way too early for Sheldon, but he didn't care. He crawled into the bed and before could have counted to ten he was fast asleep.

Angus stirred awake at about 4:30 AM. The time difference made his internal time clock off. He lie in bed wondering if he should get up or not. He decided to read. He turned on his bedroom lamp and pulled out some reading material. He was anxious to meet his granddaughter and felt bad that he had been so tired that he was not able to visit with Sheldon or Amy.

Amy woke up around 6 AM, more to go to the bathroom than because she wanted to remain up. However, when she saw the time, she realized that Angus would likely be up early so she decided to crawl out of bed for good. She padded to the bathroom and noticed her sweater on the floor and smiled. She tossed it in the laundry basket and pulled out underwear and a sensible outfit for meeting her grandfather. She would change later into the clothing for the rehearsal and dinner that would follow.

Following her morning ablutions, Amy made her bed and gathered her skimpy ensemble from the night before and put it in the laundry for hand washing later. She then head downstairs and put on a pot of coffee and looked at what to make for breakfast. She decided it was an oatmeal kind of day since she and Sheldon had not had much sleep. She was thankful to not have bags under her eyes.

Setting the table in the kitchen, she went out onto the patio and with clippers pulled together some evergreen clippings and some holly berries. She made a make-shift centerpiece for the table, to make sure to make the table looked very festive. She added a couple of red ornaments to give it a punch of color, along with some ribbon.

Frying up bacon, she also decided to scramble some eggs and put out orange juice for everyone.

Angus heard that someone was up and could smell the coffee brewing. He decided to take a quick shower and get ready to hopefully meet his granddaughter.

Sheldon was sound asleep. He was so tired from all the sex the night before and the stress of sneaking around, that it took its toll on him. He had wanted to be up to introduce Amy to her grandfather, but unfortunately, he had no idea what time it was and he was heavy into REM.

By the time breakfast was ready, even with all the trimmings set out, Angus padded into the kitchen.  
"Amy? Is that you, lassie?" he asked.

Amy turned and saw her grandfather for the first time. He was taller than she pictured…probably about 5'11" and had a full head of white hair. He had a white mustache as well that was fairly thick. His eyes were green and large. He was on the thinner side of normal for build. He sported a kilt and a long-sleeved turtleneck shirt. He had socks that went up to the knees. One would definitely not miss the fact that he was from Scotland with the way he was dressed.

"Grandfather? Yes, I am Amy" she said smiling. "It is wonderful to meet you."

"Come here, lassie. Let me get a better look at you" he said. Amy moved closer to him and he smiled. "You look a spit and image of your mother, God rest her soul. She had curlier hair and a wee bit darker, but you look a lot like her. Her nose was different, but she had the same green eyes, and smile." Amy very hesitantly went to hug him.

"I am so glad you are here, Grandfather. I am so sorry we didn't get to know each other before now" Amy said, as she pulled him in tighter.

"Aye, lassie. I know, but I am thankful the Lord let me come here and get to meet you."

Amy pulled away from the hug and said "well breakfast is ready and so is coffee. Sheldon came back late last night because he could not sleep at Leonard's. Leonard's girlfriend was evidently spending the night with him and snored so loud that Sheldon couldn't sleep. He sent me a text that he was coming back. I think he is in the room adjacent to your bath, but will go check" Amy said.

"Lassie, I saw him in the bed asleep when I had to close the bathroom door." Angus said.

Amy wasn't sure whether to go and wake Sheldon up. Before she finished pondering it, Sheldon shuffled into the kitchen, rubbing his eyes, robe on over his PJ's and hair sticking up every which direction. "Good morning, sleepyhead" Amy teased. She went over and gave him a quick peck on the lips.

"Good morning, Beautiful. I feel like I have been hit by a truck" Sheldon said. "My eyes feel like they have sandpaper in them." Sheldon finally noticed Angus, who he had forgotten was there due to his sleepy nature. "Good morning, Dr. MacGregor…or rather Angus. I see you have finally met Amy. I apologize for my inappropriate attire and late rise from bed."

"Lad, it isn't a problem. I hear you had a rough night?"

"Yes, I had to rescue my drunk as a skunk sister and our friend Penny, who was every bit as drunk last night. I was staying at Leonard's and it seems that the two women brought him up on the rooftop of the building. They were so drunk that they stripped down to their underwear and were dancing all over the place. Leonard was trying to get them to put their clothes back and they just tried pulling his off of him. It really was embarrassing."

Amy started giggling. "You will meet both of these women today at the rehearsal. All I can tell you is they are crazy when drunk and full of life when not. Both are always up to something and the two together are a real hoot."

"Yes, a real hoot indeed. I finally got Missy back to Penny's apartment and Penny stayed with Leonard, but she snored so loud I couldn't sleep. I didn't have my noise-cancelling headphones with me. It was impossible because she snores even when not drunk, but when drunk, let's just say… people in New York could probably hear her last night from here."

The three of them laughed at the stories Sheldon told. They spent some time talking with Angus just about surface things, nothing of import for now. They just enjoyed getting to know each other.


	41. Chapter 41: Family Complexities

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_A/N: Sorry for the delay in getting this chapter up. I needed time to think a few things through before posting it._

After an enjoyable and leisurely breakfast, Amy finished cleaning up, with Sheldon's help. Angus started to show signs of being a tired again. He was in his early 80's, was still having jetlag, and travel stress so he tired quickly.

"Why don't we all take a rest before we have to dress for rehearsal" Amy suggested. She knew Sheldon would need a nap and she was pretty tired as well. "I think we are all pretty worn out."

"I think I would like that" Angus said. "I will be up in plenty of time to be ready for the rehearsal." Angus then head back to his room and was grateful for the time to rest.

Sheldon, still dressed in his pajamas was too tired to even think about anything but sleep. He actually went back to the faux-room and crawled in bed to sleep. That left Amy…who seemed to understand and was about to go upstairs when the doorbell rang.

"Great, now who is here?" she grumbled as she went to the door and opened it. There stood Mary, Mee-Maw and a very looking "worse for wear" Missy.

"Uh, good morning. Come on in" Amy greeted, surprised to see them. "Come on into the living room. Grandfather and Sheldon are both taking naps after our breakfast."

"Sugar, that is what I should be doing, taking a nap." Missy grumbled.

"Melissa Grace, don't even start…." Mary glared at her.

"Would you like to rest on my bed upstairs?" Amy offered.

"She most certainly will not. She behaved like a child of Satan's last night so she will pay the penalty today" Mary sternly commanded.

"Mama, I just had too much wine with Penny, so sue me. " Missy glared.

"It is witches brew. I told you not to drink. I just wonder what else you did last night. I get the feeling you girls were out of control, based on Leonard's comments" Mary was not amused.

Amy looked over at Missy. She was thankful Missy had not seen her on the rooftop but could tell Missy was paying the price today for whatever it was that went on up there. "So, can I get anyone anything" Amy said, trying to keep a war from breaking out in her living room.

"Sugar, I sure could use a coffee" Missy asked. "Just bring it black this time. I think I need all the caffeine I can get in me."

"Dear, I am just fine." Mee-Maw answered.

"Amy, dear, we just came by to see if you would like to go to the mall with us. I need to get some new shoes for my dress I am wearing tonight" Mary posed.

"Let me get Missy her coffee and I will be right back" Amy said. She went to the kitchen and pulled down a cup and poured coffee for Missy. She took a deep breath. The last thing she wanted to do was go shopping when she was already so tired, but how could she refuse? She walked back to the living room with the cup for Missy.

"Here you go, Missy" Amy said as she handed her the cup. "I would love to join you…but, do you think we could be back in an hour and a half or less? I really didn't sleep well last night running lists through my head" Amy stated.

Before she could finish her thoughts, Sheldon came out of the faux-room, still in PJs and rubbing his eyes said "Amy? Why is it so noisy? I am trying to sleep." He hadn't noticed the women that had arrived.

"Well, well, Shellybean…I don't think I have ever seen you sleep this late before" Mary eyed him suspiciously. "Rough night?"

"I was up earlier and had breakfast with Angus and Amy. Yes, it was a rough night and if Missy had behaved and Penny hadn't gotten drunk, I would have gotten more sleep. As it was, I had to leave Leonard's and come back here to try and sleep because of Penny's extremely loud snoring."

"So you slept here?" Mary asked…her voice cracking…she was hoping he slept in the room he was in.

"Yes, I drove from Leonard's in my pajamas, came in my room and went to sleep, which is what I would like to do again if you could keep your voices down" Sheldon grumpily requested.

"Moonpie, I am sorry we are keeping you awake. You go on back to bed, dear and we will be leaving to go shopping here in a few minutes anyway" Mee-Maw spoke up.

"Sheldon, I will be going with them and be back in about an hour" Amy said, walking up to him and giving him a quick peck on the lips. He nodded and began to head back to his room. He was so tired he honestly didn't care about anything but crashing in bed.

"Well ladies, shall we go when Missy finishes her coffee?" Amy asked.

"Sugar, I can get another cup while we are out…let's just get out of here so Shelly won't complain" Missy said, holding her head. Truth be told, she was afraid of what he might reveal about her antics the night before. She couldn't wait to get out of there.

The women all left the house to shop while Angus and Sheldon took naps. Amy envied them. She was tired herself.

"Ooo, look at these" Missy said as she pointed to a gorgeous pair of red platform pumps. Mama, these would match your dress perfectly."

"I am not gonna wear those shoes. They are at least 4 inches tall and far too age-inappropriate" Mary said. She was looking for something elegant, yet practical for the mother of the groom.

"Mama, you are still young enough to spice it up a bit. If you don't want them, maybe I will get them for myself and get me a dress to change into that I can wear with them" Missy admired the shoes.

"Missy, you don't need another dress" Mary shot down.

"I didn't say I needed it, Mama…but I am sure if I bought one, there are some men who might think I needed it" she teased, even with her hangover she still was a flirt. "Then again, they may just want me to wear it so they can take me out of it."

Amy knew she better act quick if she wasn't going to witness something nasty transpire between Missy and Mary. "Mama Mary, what do you think of these?" Amy pointed to a pair of lower heeled, more like two and a half in heel, that were a sandal shoe, silvery and very dressy. They were tasteful, elegant, but not distracting in any form.

"I like those. Oh yes, these are perfect" Mary smiled as she looked at them. "Yoo hoo" she said waiving at one of the salesmen. "Would you have these in a seven and a half narrow?"

After trying them on, Mary decided to buy the shoes. Missy caved in and bought the red ones and insisted they go look at one of the boutiques so she could try and find a dress to go with them. The women followed Missy into a store that had very trendy and far too sexy of clothes for Mary's approval. Missy found a cute red and white dress that was fairly low cut, showing off her assets, as well as very form fitting that came about midway between her crotch and her knee. Most of the dress was red, but had at white trim that ran right under what little bust-line there was, and had white trim along the strap, neckline, and hem-line. It clearly had a "Valentine's Day feel with the cut of the low cut bust-line being in a sweet-heart style, if you could really call it that. Basically it wasn't much different than a bra on top of a skirt.

"You put that thing back. You look like you are sellin' it before the milk has been bought" Mary instructed.

"Mama, I'm a grown woman who happens to have nice assets and I don't mind showin' 'em off" Missy was not one to back down. She went to try it on and it looked fabulous on her, even Amy had to admit that. She knew it would definitely be a man-magnet. "I'm so buyin' this little number" Missy said, admiring her image in the mirrors. The dress definitely accentuated her assets.

Once the purchase was made, the women went back to the house. Amy brought everyone a glass of iced tea and they went out on the patio to enjoy the afternoon sun.

"Your yard is one of the loveliest yards I believe I have ever seen" Mee-Maw remarked. She really loved beautiful yards.

"Thank you, Mee-Maw."

Angus happened to have risen and when he could not find anyone he looked out back to check to see if anyone was there. He was still dressed in a kilt as before. He had only added a sash across his turtleneck that completed the outfit. Tassles dangled from his socks and kilt. He opened the door leading out back and said "Aye, there you are."

"Grandfather, please come and meet Mee-Maw, Mama Mary, and Missy. These are Sheldon's grandmother, mother, and his twin sister. Ladies, this is my Grandfather, Dr. Tavish Angus MacGregor."

"What a lovely treat it is to meet all of you fine women" Angus said. He took Mee-Maw's hand and kissed it, as well as Mary's.

"Well aren't you a charmer?" Mary said, but not in a negative way. She really meant it as a compliment. "So you come all the way from Scotland, is that right? Mary eyed him up and down, realizing she had never seen a person actually wearing a kilt in real life before.

"Aye, Scotland is my native land. I have traveled all over the world, but she is still my favorite jewel" Angus replied.

"Grandfather, would you like a glass of iced tea?" Amy offered.

"Yes, I believe I would, thank you." He answered. Turning to Mee-Maw, he asked "I understand that these young ones call you Mee-Maw. I was wonderin' if you could help me understand the origin of the name."

"Well, I can't say I rightly know. Where I come from we have just called grandparent's Mee-Maw and Pop-Pop for as long as I can remember" Mee-Maw answered. Sunlight danced off of her eyes, making her appear far more youthful than her actual chronological age.

"So do you have a given name?" Angus asked. He felt strange always referring her to Mee-Maw.

"Yes, it is Grace" Mee-Maw answered.

"Grace, what a lovely name. I am sure you are the epitome of grace as well" Angus was sincere. He felt she was a good woman, a kind woman, and one that loved her grandson. He could sense it.

Sheldon, fully dressed and ready to face the day, heard the chatter out back and came to join everyone. "Hello Beautiful, did you have any luck at the stores?" Sheldon leaned over and kissed Amy as he asked. He then walked over to Mee-Maw and kissed her cheek and then his mother. He and Missy exchanged a knowing look, one that said "our secret" even though Sheldon wasn't good at secrets.

"Yes, I believe the mission was accomplished" Amy replied.

"Shelly, we had great success. I found an awesome hot little number to wear tonight with some new red pumps" Missy said. "Will there be any single men there?"

"No funny business tonight, Missy. This is my wedding rehearsal and rehearsal dinner. You need to behave" Sheldon warned.

"I'm always good, Shelly, just ask any man" Missy continued to taunt.

"I'd rather not, thank you very much" Sheldon said. "I think we should be leaving in about an hour. Mom, will you be driving to the Chapel for the rehearsal? The dinner is at Mi Piace."

"I'll be drivin' Mama and Mee-Maw there. But you didn't answer my question…oh wait, of course, Raj will be there. He's still single" Missy spoke up.

Sheldon turned and glared at her. "I think Melissa needs a nap before going to the rehearsal. She seems to have forgotten her manners."

"Shellybean, I have to agree. If you will excuse us, I think we will head back to the hotel so Missy can get a nap in before we dress and meet you at the chapel. " Mary started to get up and was holding Mee-Maw's arm to help her up out of her chair.

"It was a pleasure meeting you ladies. I look forward to getting to know you better this evening" Angus said, looking particularly at Mee-Maw. He thought she was a very attractive woman of her age and liked her kind spirit.

"It was a pleasure and we look forward to it as well" Mee-Maw said. She could tell Angus seemed like he was giving her special attention and she had not had that in a long time so was enjoying it. She hadn't had anyone flirt with her in years.

Amy was watching everything and smiled. She thought it was cute. She knew Sheldon was oblivious, but she found it amusing. She walked the three women to the door while Sheldon and Angus remained on the patio, enjoying what was left of the afternoon sun. After the women had left, Amy went back out to the patio.

"I was unable to nap while you two were napping, so think I will go lie down before I have to get ready for tonight" Amy informed the two men.

"I have to come up and get my suit" Sheldon said. Then remembering, he turned to Angus and said "We moved some of my clothes that were not used very often upstairs because it had more room."

"Aye, so will this be appropriate for tonight?" Angus asked about what he was wearing.

"Yes, very much so. Speaking of which, may I see what you brought…you know…for tomorrow?" Sheldon asked. He didn't want Amy seeing it just yet.

"What did you have him bring?" Amy was curious.

"It is a surprise and you will find out in about" looking at his watch "21 hours" Sheldon replied.

"Hmmm…now you have peaked my curiosity" Amy teased. She leaned up and kissed Sheldon on the cheek and did the same to her grandfather. "Give me about 45 minutes to rest. Then I will start to ready myself for the rehearsal." Amy went on upstairs and stripped down and crawled into bed.

The two men went into Angus' room and Angus pulled out the surprise for Amy. "Perfect. We will be dressing at Leonard's house tomorrow. My friend Howard will be coming by to pick you up and bring you to Leonard's in the morning. All of us, the men that is, will go to a brunch. Then we will return to get ready." Sheldon explained. "I will be staying there tonight…to follow tradition of the bride and groom not supposed to see each other until the wedding" Sheldon really wasn't crazy about it, but he felt it pleased the women, so he would follow through with it. "Howard also will check you into the hotel tomorrow so that you will be all set to return there following the festivities. He will be watching out for you on our behalf. We will then come by on the following morning to pick you up for us all to fly to Scotland."

"You have it all well planned. I am curious and looking forward to meeting your friends who have been a big part of Amy's life. I understand that most are from Cal Tech?" Angus asked.

"Yes, Howard is an Engineer with a Master's Degree and recently came back from spending three-weeks on the International Space Station. Rajesh is a Doctorate in Astrophysics, and Leonard is a Doctorate in Experimental Physics. Alexandra is my assistant and is a grad student in the Astrophysics program. Penny is Leonard's girlfriend and a waitress and aspiring actress, although she is also in school right now. Bernadette is Howard's wife and she is a Doctorate in Microbiology and works at a Pharmaceuticals company."

"Quite an accomplished ensemble of friends."

"They have been good to Amy and me over the years, and we became sort of a family as a result" Sheldon admitted. He noted the time and said "I had better shower and start to get ready for tonight so that I can be out of Amy's way as she gets ready."

"Aye, I will freshen up and be ready soon. I also need to check and reply to some emails." Sheldon left Angus' room and head upstairs.

Amy was asleep on the bed and looked so beautiful. Sheldon really missed her. They had not been able to have relations that day and he wanted her so bad. He looked at his watch and debated whether to let her sleep and get ready or to try and fit in a quickie.

Amy stirred and sensed someone was in the room; she looked up and saw Sheldon "Sheldon?"

"Shhh…if we are really quiet and good, we can just fit in…you know" he smiled. He leaned over and began to kiss Amy. She responded by deepening the kiss and grabbing the hems of his shirts to pull up over his head. She then grabbed onto his belt buckle and loosened it as well as unzipped his pants. She had been lying in only her thong panties. She had removed all her other clothing earlier when she crawled into bed, and seeing her in such a state of undress aroused Sheldon. Within moments they were in the throes of passionate love-making, while stifling any sort of noise. It may have been a short session, but it was definitely power packed.

Once they caught their breath again, both climbed into the shower and began to wash each other. Of course that just led to further arousal and before you know it, Amy had brought Sheldon to full release with her own oral ministrations. While she was very aroused and would love to have had him release inside of her, she knew that time was not on their side. She opted that they finish washing and get ready for the rehearsal.

Sheldon dressed and looked amazingly dapper. He had on a charcoal gray suit with a cranberry red colored shirt. His tie was charcoal gray, black, white, and cranberry red stripes with a matching kerchief in his pocket.

Amy wore an off-the-shoulder cranberry red satin dress that had small cap sleeves, a fitted waist, and a slightly flared petal-cut skirt. The neckline had a slight scooped V in front, and a slight scoop in back. There were tiny rose accents along both sides of the waist down to the skirt line in both front and back. Beneath the petal-cut skirt was black tulle and satin underlay. It was beautiful and very unique. She wore black thigh-hi nylons with lacy edges at the top, hugging close on the thighs. Her feet were encased in her black stiletto heels with red soles that Sheldon loved so much. Her coat was black, A-line, and closely fitted at the waist. It buttoned up the left side of the bodice, had a pocket on each side about hip level, and a small scoop neckline high on the neck. The whole outfit had a very vintage feel, from dress to coat. She opted to wear black onyx drop earrings a matching necklace that had five different onyx and diamond drops where the middle drop was longest, the two drops on each side of the middle drop were slightly shorter and the other ones shorter than those. Amy wore her hair pulled back in a barrette in back, both sides swooped up and her hair came down in soft curls.

Sheldon had been downstairs talking with Angus when Amy finally came down the stairs. "Oh boy" Sheldon usually only said this when either upset or aroused. In this case it was the latter seeing Amy look so beautiful. "You look beautiful….you take my breath away." He helped Amy put on her coat. "You know what those shoes do to me" he whispered in her ear, making her shiver with desire.

"Lassie, you are lovely. Sheldon is right, you will be the brightest star there tonight" Angus agreed. The three of them left and head to the chapel for rehearsal.

Arriving at the chapel, present were Winston, Jane, Mary, Mee-Maw, Missy, Penny, Leonard, Bernadette, Howard, Raj, Alex and the Pastor. Of course, Angus came with Sheldon and Amy so he was there as well. It was the first time that Winston and Angus had seen each other in years. Jane managed to avoid any sort of interaction with Angus by visiting with Mary and Mee-Maw.

"Dr. Fowler" Angus said politely with a nod. He was determined to not stir up any problem and just be civil for Amy's sake.

"Dr. MacGregor" Winston followed suit. "I am surprised to see you here."

"Excuse me, I apologize, but I invited Dr. MacGregor here to meet Amy and to be a part of her day" Sheldon intervened.

"Father, Sheldon and Grandfather have been having conversations over recent weeks and Sheldon surprised me with Grandfather's visit and his request to walk me down the aisle. He thought, and I agree, that Grandfather had to miss a lot of my life and this was a special memory that we all would be able to share. I know it is tradition for the father of the bride to escort her down the aisle, but would ask you honor Sheldon's gift" Amy interrupted.

"May I make a counter-proposal?" Winston asked. He was hurt. He knew he had not been the best father to Amy, but it was his right after all. So, he would try and not upset her any further by making a suggestion.

"Proceed" Amy said, curious what he would recommend.

"If it is all right with Dr. MacGregor and you, it would please me immensely if both your Grandfather and I could escort you" Winston proposed.

Sheldon looked over at Amy for her reaction. She was actually not sure. While she would normally have thought it a wonderful idea, under the circumstances she wasn't sure. "May I have a few moments to speak with Sheldon and Grandfather and I will be right back?"

Winston was fearful she would say no and he didn't know how he could make it up to her. Was he just being selfish? "Of course, and I will honor whatever your decision. Just know that I want to make up for some of my past sins against you." Pain was in his eyes. Amy could see that he really was being sincere.

Amy, Sheldon, and Angus had moved to a small alcove area to talk. "Grandfather, would you have an issue with both of you escorting me? I don't want to make you uncomfortable and I am happy just being the two of us" Amy asked.

"Amy, this is your day. I am honored to just be able to be here, much less to have the joy of escorting you down the aisle. If you wish your father to be on your other arm, I would have no issue with it. I just want this to be a perfect day for you" Angus replied. His eyes twinkled and Amy could tell he was sincere and truly just happy to be there.

"What do you think Sheldon?

"Amy, this is your decision and I will trust whatever you decide. I think your father was being sincere and I know Angus was as well."

"All right then; I think I will allow it, because I can't think of anything that would please me more than to see family unity on my wedding day. I will speak to the Pastor and let him know.

The rehearsal went well and both men were going to escort Amy. They managed to bury-the-hatchet at least for now. Both were polite and yet kept their distances from each other. Once rehearsal was over, the ensemble all left for Mi Piace for the dinner.

Dinner was marvelous. It started with Caesar's salad, bruschetta (with diced tomatoes and avocado tossed with olive oil, lime juice and fresh basil over toasted ciabatta bread), and choice of Rustic Chicken (chicken braised with Peruvian purple potatoes, red & yellow peppers, onions, baby carrots, garlic and white Riesling wine), Organic Scottish Salmon Filet with Italian seasonings in a white wine butter sauce and sweet bell peppers, broccoli and white mushrooms, or the third choice was bucatini pasta tossed with San Marzano tomatoes, olive oil, garlic, shallots, fresh basil and optionally with parmesan cheese. Desert choices were Tiramisu, Chocolate soufflé, or, lemon raspberry tart.

With everyone well fed, loads of innuendo made to the happy couple, and some not-so-subtle hints about baby-making from mothers, the couple felt that tomorrow could not come quick enough. Everyone left the dinner fatter, happier and ready for the next day. Gifts had been given to the bridal party and the only thing in front of them was sleep.

Sheldon and Amy shared a very long kiss, knowing the next time they would see each other would be in the chapel with her ready to walk down the aisle. Sheldon left with Leonard and Amy head home with her Grandfather. Missy came to spend the night with her to help her in the morning gather everything that would be needed to take with them to Bernadette's.

Amy smiled all the way back to the house, thinking about how perfect life was. She was already married, so that wasn't the issue, but now she was getting her dream wedding and letting the whole world know that she was Mrs. Sheldon Cooper. She knew, that even though she was very tired and didn't get near enough of a nap, that sleep would be scarce.

"Buddy, are you ready?" Leonard asked, looking sideways at Sheldon while keeping his eyes on the road to take Sheldon back to the apartment.

"Yes, I am more than ready. I just want all this hullabaloo over with" Sheldon was feeling a bit put out that he was having to leave his wife over a silly tradition. He also hated all the nonsense that came with a wedding, too many people, too many kisses, handshakes, attention in general, and all of the tiring teasing that went with it. He just wanted it all over and for them to move on.

The boys arrived at 2311 Los Robles, and wasn't it just Sheldon's luck…they decided to throw him an impromptu bachelor party. At least they had him in mind and didn't make it too tasteless. Instead they made it all about a video game marathon, crude jokes and crude gifts…things that Sheldon didn't even know what they were for, or he could guess and was grossed out by the thought, and far too much junk food.

Those in attendance were the usual gang (Howard, Leonard, Raj, and Stuart), Wil Wheaton, Barry Kripke, Zach Johnson, Amy's father was there (much to Sheldon's surprise), and for a very short while, so was Angus. Howard had managed to pick him up for a little while and took him back later. Sheldon did admit he was having fun with the guys.

"Sugar, I have to apologize to you for all the times I kneed Shelly in the groin" Missy felt bad. She never expected him to meet a woman and fall in love. The idea of him ever having a girlfriend was so foreign to her that it was hard to think about him actually having sex with a woman. But, she also knew Amy by now and knew that Amy wanted sex. "I hope it won't affect his…you know…ability to perform."

Amy wasn't sure how to respond to this admission. "Umm…I guess I will know soon enough."

"But what if he can't? I mean what if it ruined him? Oh gosh, Sugar, I would just feel so bad" Missy kept on.

"I think everything will be fine" Amy blushed.

Missy snapped her head over and said "You know something…don't you? You know if he can…you know….get there."

"All I know is that a couple of times when he has held me close, I have definitely felt evidence that he can, as you say, "get there" Amy figured she had to come up with something…because boy could he get there, in fact more than she would have ever realized.

"Well isn't that interesting. So, Sugar…are you saying that Shelly can get aroused?" Missy was wide-eyed.

"Ummm…this is kind of making me uncomfortable" Amy tried to make a plea.

"Oh Sugar, you are just family…my sister now, or will be by this time tomorrow. So spill, can Shelly get it up?" Missy was curious. She wondered just how "far" Amy and Sheldon had really gone. A part of her teased about them sleeping together and all, but truth be told, she figured Sheldon would take a long time to get to that point, so this was new news to her…to hear that he may actually be ready.

"I am not worried, I am sure everything will be just fine. Besides, you girls gave me enough slut-wear to entice any man" Amy teased.

"You got that right. Oh what I wouldn't give to have a couple of those things for myself. I must admit, I was shocked at Mama and what she got you. That was definitely baby-makin' wear if I ever saw it" Missy shuddered at the thought of her brother doin' it with anyone.

"Yes, it was rather surprising. I pulled it out and looked at it last night and wasn't sure even now to put it on. It was rather interesting." What she didn't admit to Missy is that she made good use of it with Sheldon last night. It was the hot little red number she wore…little being the operative word.

"Well it isn't meant to stay on long. I'm sure it would take a lot longer puttin' it on than how long it would stay on…well for anyone besides Shelly that is…with him, who knows? But, if that boy is gettin' it up when he rubs up next to you, then there is hope for him yet" Missy remarked.

"We had better get to bed soon. We have to be up and ready for our appointments that start at 9:00 and we can't be late" Amy suggested tiring of a conversation she never even wanted to be having.

"Oh good point. I'll just run and get in Shelly's bed" Missy started toward the door. "Goodnight, Sugar."

"Goodnight, Missy" Amy ascended the stairs and went into her room. Closing the door behind her and locking it, she checked her phone and smiled. "_Goodnight, beautiful…boys threw me a bachelor party…videogame marathon…don't worry, no strippers. Love you and miss you_" Sheldon had texted.

"_Goodnight, Cuddles. I miss cuddling with you. Missy asking all kinds of questions…creepy ones. Can't wait for tomorrow. Love you and miss you_" Amy texted back. She slipped off her clothes and crawled into bed with nothing but her panties on. She wanted to think about earlier that morning when Sheldon found her that way and pretended he was there with her. Before long, she drifted off to sleep.

Sheldon looked up and before he knew it, it was 3:00 AM and the guys were still going strong. He was really missing Amy and sleeping with her. He finally just quietly left the living room and went back to his bedroom, changed into his PJs, and crawled into bed. He was thinking of Amy and how they never made love in his bed there at the apartment_. I will have to remedy that some time_. Before long, he drifted off to sleep, smiling about later that day.


	42. Chapter 42: A Shocking Wedding!

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: For a photo of the bridal couple's attire, please see the following link: imanager/image_ ?width=80&imageid=478424 or . /77531460f1fd4577dc1b6767b688 bdd9/tumblr_mfcqpgNrny1rffyeho1_ Thank you, anon for your review of chapter 41. Sorry I could not reply to you direct. I appreciate your review.  
_

Morning came awfully soon, but Amy got up by 7:00 AM and showered and threw on sweats. She was at least going to try and be comfortable before she had to change into her gown. She had packed up everything she would need for the wedding and for her get-away outfit, which was the same dress she wore when they had eloped. Sheldon asked her to wear it on their wedding day so she was doing it to please him. She didn't bother putting on any makeup or doing much with her hair. She just pulled it back into a pony tail.

Having gone downstairs, Amy put on coffee and began to make breakfast for Missy, Angus and her. It was a sunny day and she was thankful for that. It really was quite beautiful outside. She wondered whether Sheldon was up yet. Somehow she felt like it wasn't likely.

"BREAKFAST" Amy called out to everyone. Angus was the first to come into the kitchen.

"Good morning, Grandfather. I trust you slept well?" Amy asked as she poured him some coffee.

"Thank you, Lassie. Aye, very well indeed, even after getting back late last night. It seems your Lad has some friends that threw him a bachelor party and came to get me to join them. You need not worry though…it was just boys eating unhealthy foods and playing video games" Angus replied.

"Sheldon texted last night and I saw it before I went to bed. He told me about the party. I hope he managed to get to bed at a somewhat reasonable hour and will be able to have a good breakfast."

"Aye, the men are all going to brunch around 10:30 AM and then heading for the chapel after" Angus admitted. "I hope you didn't outdo yourself because I probably will be eating light."

"No, actually, I just made some orange-cinnamon rolls and bacon is all. I don't feel up to eating much myself. I want to make sure I fit into my gown" Amy giggled.

"Oh Sugar, you get up way too early for my taste" Missy said, strolling into the kitchen in a sweats outfit as well with her hair up in a pony-tail. Amy wondered how anyone could party all the time like Missy and yet look so good.

Handing Missy a cup of coffee, Amy said "Good morning, Missy. I am sure this will help bring you to life. I hope you slept well."

"Like a log. Shelly's room is pretty nice. Now that he will be sharin' a room with you, maybe I should move out here and take that room" Missy winked.

"I would love it if you moved out here" Amy enthused, even though her face didn't show the same level of enthusiasm. She loved having Missy around, but she did admit that she didn't want her living under the same roof as her. She wanted Sheldon to herself for a while.

"Sugar, don't worry. I won't be movin' anytime soon." Missy turned to Angus and said "Well good mornin' to you too, Sir. Don't you look smart today? How do you like our little Amy and even more, my crazy brother?"

"Good morning, Melissa. I am enjoying getting to know my Granddaughter and am finding her easy to love and very accomplished. As for your brother, I admire him and could not have picked a more suited husband for my Amy."

"You scientists all stick together, that's for sure. Sugar, I think I am gonna need a refill" Missy said, pointing to her cup that she had nearly downed. Amy poured her more coffee.

After the three had breakfast, Amy and Missy cleaned up the kitchen while Angus packed. He would be moving to the hotel and wanted everything ready. He showered and changed into his dress kilt that he would be wearing to walk Amy down the aisle.

The doorbell rang and Leonard was standing at the door when Amy answered it. He was also carrying a hanger with something on it that was covered in a dark plastic bag. "Leonard, I thought you would be back at the apartment with Sheldon. Is he okay?"

"He is fine, Amy, he just needed me to pick up something from your grandfather that he forgot to take with him yesterday and to drop this off for Angus."

Angus had heard Leonard from down the hall and immediately brought out a garment bag with what Leonard came to get. Leonard handed Angus the hanger and the two men nodded as if understanding what it all meant. Amy was curious, but didn't push it. She knew Sheldon wanted it to be a surprise.

"Is Sheldon up yet?" Amy asked. "Is he okay?"

"Ames, he was still asleep when I took off to get this. I let him sleep in because he didn't get to bed until around 3:00 AM. But he was fine…tired, but fine. Listen, we will see you at the chapel later. Penny said she would be by in about 30 minutes."

"Okay, tell Sheldon that…well..you know…that I love him" Amy blushed.

"He knows…but I will…and he loves you back. That I know for certain" Leonard waved as he took off with the bag in hand.

Penny arrived, as did Mary and Mee-Maw. They decided Amy would ride with Mary and Mee-Maw and Missy with Penny to the salon. Bernie and Alex were meeting them there.

Arriving at the salon, each woman had a stylist begin to work on them. Bernie had brought lunches for everyone since they would be there for so long. They were getting color treatments, facials, manicures, pedicures, waxing, airbrushed make-up applied or regular make-up applied, lashes applied, the whole nine-yards. Four hours later, the girls walked out looking beautiful. Bernadette had brought Amy's gown in her car so they all decided to go direct to the chapel to the designated bridal changing room and change there.

Sheldon and his posse of men all had gone to brunch at The Terrace. It served wonderful food and they could enjoy their brunch overlooking the garden bridge and pool. It was relaxing and just what Sheldon needed since he was still recovering from a late night before. It was low-key and just nice conversation with his friends and family members (well they were family already, but didn't know it).

The girls arrived at the chapel and Amy looked inside to see what Raj had put together. It immediately brought tears to her eyes. It was gorgeous. She could not have asked for a more stunning décor. He had the aisle lined with topiary trees about every third pew. Each pew had a bow on it with a crystal sconce holding a candle coming from the center of each bow, lifted above the pew. White ribbon tied each row to the next. Up front were boughs that had red ribbon, bleeding hearts and red/white stargazer lilies for accents along with crystal ornaments. It was simple, elegant and not overdone. A white runner went up the aisle and up the stairs to the altar. On the altar were three candles, the center one being a unity candle that would be lit by their individual candles. There was also a wine goblet for them to share their "first sip" of wine together, binding them as one, the wine symbolizing their blood becoming as one.

"Wow, it is beautiful" Bernie said as she looked in with Amy.

"Sugar, it is lovely. Oh my, it really is pretty" Missy exclaimed.

The women loved what Raj had done…keeping it simple, elegant, and understated.

"Oh my gosh, what is that? It seems sort of out of place, don't it?" Mary asked, pointing to three plaid patterns that didn't match in the slightest and three flags that also didn't match…two were on each side of the altar, and one in the center…the plaids were framed.

"Those are our clan tartans and family crests, I think" Amy stared at them, amazed. She never realized how cool it was to know she had those kinds of things now in her family. She was even more surprised to see one of the flags crests had the name Cooper on it. "Sheldon belongs …Missy…you are part of the Cooper clan! Isn't it cool? It is the center one."

"Sugar, if it means that I can meet some hot European men, sure, I am more than willin' to belong to a clan."

"Melissa Grace? That is no way to talk." Mary scolded and then turned to Amy "I had no idea that George's family was part of a clan, but I do agree, it is rather interestin'."

The women realized the time and hurried off to the changing room. They didn't have much time now before the pictures were to be taken and they had to be ready before the photographer showed up. He was going to take just all the women together before the ceremony (and all the men together), but then the joint bridal pictures would be taken after.

The men arrived and looked into the chapel and were glad it wasn't too girly looking. They were impressed that Raj had done such a nice job. They scurried off to the groom's changing room and began to change into their attire.

Leonard, who was the best man, had a black with gold accent colored Star Trek uniform shirt with dress black slacks and the other men wore red colored Star Trek uniform shirts with dress black slacks, including Winston. Winston put on the Fowler tartan as a sash across his uniform, which were the colors of navy blue, silver, and thin red stripe plaid.

Sheldon wore a formal Star Trek Coat that side fastened on the left. It was black on top with red the predominate color and had a black belt. (It was the same dress coat that Captain Picard would wear for dress occasions.) He wore a kilt in the Cooper family tartan plaid which was a purple/green/black with a small thin red stripe in the plaid. He wore green/wine/and black argyle socks that went up to his knees and red garters hung down from the top of his calves. From his waist a strap that held up a sword hilt with sword fell to his side.

Angus was dressed similarly, except in the MacGregor Family tartan plaid of red, black, green and white colors. His socks were green, white and black argyle. He wore the same color dress Star Trek jacket and tassels as Sheldon. He also wore the tartan sash across his chest to his waist.

Both Sheldon and Angus wore their family clan-specific crest sporran over their kilt, which hung around the waist on a chain and hung down, almost as if a shield over their groin area.

Amy's gown was white satin and taffeta skirt that had flattering, clean front silhouette of pleats both in front and in back, leading to a chapel train. The embroidered bodice is classically fitted with a modified full skirt and a sweetheart neckline for the underlying bodice. The overlay was hand-tatted lace and beading, had a scoop neckline that followed the shape of the sweetheart neckline under, only came a few inches higher on the neck in front and a deep wide-V scoop in back and long sleeves. The overlay came down below the waist to the hipline and was scalloped at the hem. At the waist was a satin belt tied in a bow. Amy carried a bouquet of white roses with white bindings and red and white satin ribbons that cascaded down from the bouquet.

Penny had a gold gown that matched Missy and Bernadette's gowns, only theirs were in red. The dresses were A-line chiffon over satin dresses that had a bodice that fit snug against the body through the waist and then flared into the A-line. It had a sweetheart shape bodice with short shear bell-like sleeves and the back had a lower dip into a wide-V. They were floor length. There was a pendant that met the bottom of the heart at the bust. Each bridesmaid and Penny, as maid of honor, carried one long-stem rose. Penny's was red and the other two girls' were white.

Howard seated Sheldon's mother and Mee-Maw, while Raj seated Jane. Both mothers were seated to the music "Where My Heart Will Take Me" from Star Trek: Enterprise.

The bridesmaids and maid of honor (Penny) walked down to Pacabel Canon in D and then the doors opened to the Bride. The guests all rose and turned to look and Sheldon craned his neck to see his beautiful bride. There was Amy, standing there all radiant in her gown, tiara on her head and veil cascading behind, with one very sheer layer of the veil over her face. She came down the aisle to Star Trek VI: The Final Frontier's Life's A Dream. She never took her eyes off of Sheldon, who she thought should wear a kilt more often after seeing him all decked out. She never thought she would have agreed to such a clash of color, yet somehow it all worked and he looked so handsome she didn't care. She literally glowed. On each arm were Angus and Winston to escort her down the aisle.

Between all the candles that were lit and the low lighting, and the twinkly lights in the topiary trees, the room was stunning. It was very romantic and lovely.

Sheldon took Amy's hand when she arrived to the front and helped her up a couple of stairs to the altar, while Penny adjusted her train and took her bouquet. Sheldon then faced Amy, still holding her hand and took her other hand. The Pastor began to speak and provided cute little stories about the couple before the exchange of vows.

Sheldon was the first to say his vows. "Amy, I love you for your beauty, your intelligence, your kindness...and for the way you always know how to make me feel so special. You are the love of my life. So on top of all the other vows that I make to you, I also vow to always appreciate how lucky I am to have someone who makes me feel the way you do, who loves me as you do, and I will continue to try as hard as I can to make you feel as special as you make me feel, forever and ever. I love, you Amy and am grateful to know that I be your husband and partner now and forever throughout eternity."

Amy was next. "Sheldon, you have been my best friend, mentor, playmate, confidant, and my greatest challenge. But most importantly, you are the love of my life and you make me happier than I could ever imagine and more loved than I ever thought possible. You have made me a better person, as our love for one another has enriched my life. I am truly blessed to love you and to know you love me in return. I love you, Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper, and am grateful to know that I will be your wife and partner now and forever throughout eternity.

The Pastor then followed with a formal exchange of vows "Do you Amy/Sheldon take Sheldon/Amy to be your lawfully wedded husband/wife and life partner. Do you promise to love, honor, and cherish him/her through sickness and in health, in richness or when poor, for better or for worse for now and throughout eternity" which they both responded "I do, with all my heart." The exchange of rings was next. Leonard handed Sheldon the rings which he then handed to the Pastor who blessed them. They exchanged rings, followed by lighting the unity candle and sharing their first communion together from the shared goblet.

The Pastor prayed over them and their union and then announced to those gathered to witness the event, "I would now like to introduce you to Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper and Dr. Amy Farrah Cooper". Sheldon lifted the veil and kissed Amy with a sweet, chapel-worthy kiss, although long. The guests all cheered.

The reception was a big hit by all, but Sheldon and Amy could not wait to leave. It offered excellent food, beverage, and entertainment. Leonard gave a hilarious, yet heartfelt toast. Sheldon and Amy had gone a whole night without each other the evening before and were very much looking forward to getting home. They had cut the cake, tossed the bouquet (which Penny caught) and garter (which Leonard caught)and danced the first dance, along with many other dances, as well as made the rounds to all of the tables. Party favors were given out to all the guests.

Amy went to change into the "get-away/elopement" dress . Once she was changed, everyone lined up to wish them well as they head out to the limo. Before Amy was able to get inside of the car, something happened. "POP, POP, POP" was heard by everyone above all the cheers and chatter. Amy fell to the ground.

Sheldon felt like his life went into slow motion from there on out. The guests that were still standing there to see the couple off could not comprehend what they saw. They were in a state of confusion.

Leonard was the first to react and immediately went into action whipping out his phone and called paramedics.

Amy had been shot by a drive-by shooter. Sheldon had been too stunned to look to see if he could witness the car. In fact most people had been far too stunned.

The only two people that noticed the car at all were Alex and Bernadette. Both immediately compared notes and typed in what they knew into their cell phones. One had noticed the make/model and color of the car, the other only a partial on the license, mainly because of the distance. Neither could make out the driver.

Amy was lying in a pool of blood and Sheldon immediately checked for a pulse. "Oh Lord, Amy…hang in there. An ambulance is on the way. Don't leave me…not now."

Bernadette came over and started to take control. "Sheldon, what is Amy's grandfather's name? I want to ask him for his sash to help Amy."

"Angus…Angus MacGregor. Dr. MacGregor." Sheldon said robotically.

"Dr. MacGregor?" Bernadette addressed him. "May I have your sash? I want to bind up the area and make a tourniquet to control the bleeding."

"Aye, take it" Angus said as he was already tugging on it to release from the clasp that held it on. He handed it to Bernadette "Thank you, Lassie, for being so good to my granddaughter."

"I will make sure to drive you to the hospital once they take her by ambulance" Bernadette nodded and turned back to say, as she ran over to Sheldon and Amy. She began to apply a make-shift tourniquet and it helped control some of the bleeding.

Penny was horrified and crying. She didn't know what to do. She wished she could be more useful, but she didn't know how to be useful. She went over to Missy and Mary to try and comfort them. Mary was a wreck. She knew Sheldon would be completely pushed to the limit if anything happened to Amy. She loved Amy. She just had to live.

"Can I get you anything?" Penny asked Mary. Mary shook her head and just leaned on Penny. She was literally in a trance-like state. She couldn't really even think. All she did was stare at the horror in front of her.

Sirens could be heard approaching and getting louder.

"Oh praise the Lord!" Mee-Maw exclaimed. She patted Mary's arm and said "They will take care of her and get her to the hospital. She is going to be all right. I just know the Lord is watching over her."

Sheldon heard Mee-Maw. He had always learned to listen whenever she spoke because she was wise. He even felt like praising the Lord for the ambulance to have arrived so quickly. He never believed in a deity, but perhaps it was time to start praying.

The paramedics assessed Amy's situation and managed to slow the bleeding and get her up inside of the ambulance. Sheldon rode with them, holding her hand the whole time. He just kept singing to her and trying to comfort her. This was not how the day was supposed to end. He was supposed to be home, making love to Amy…not riding in the back of an ambulance wondering if she would live.

Penny helped Mary and Mee-Maw get into their car and offered to drive, but Missy said she would be able to get them to the hospital. Once the women were off on their way, Penny re-joined Leonard who left together for the hospital. Bernadette and Howard took Angus, while Jane and Winston drove together. Raj and Alex went to the hospital while Stuart and Wil decided they would stay and answer any questions, using Alex's notes from her conversation with Bernadette that may come from the police. They would be available by phone for any updates.


	43. Chapter 43: The Hospital Ordeal

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The Ambulance made it to Memorial within less than 5 minutes and Amy was immediately taken into the ER room with a full staff waiting, as they had radioed ahead to the hospital. It was determined that she would immediately be given X-rays to see where the bullet had lodged and quickly assess what kind of damage she might have suffered. It was clear that some sort of surgery would be required and Sheldon was busy, with Bernadette's help, completing forms. She did most of the writing and only asked him questions that she didn't know the answers to already so that he could remain focused on any updates from medical staff.

Sheldon was only allowed to wait in the waiting room as the staff needed to move quickly and his presence would have been disruptive. He was pacing, and a couple of times he would lean against the wall and just slide down it all the way to the floor, crying and taking his hand and combing through his hair to try and relax. He had even forgotten that he was wearing a kilt and had to remain more modest. Nobody seemed to care about any immodesty at this point. Everyone was more concerned about what Amy was going through.

After Howard had dropped Bernie and Angus by the hospital, he went Sheldon and Amy's house to find some more comfortable clothing for Sheldon to change into. He returned and handed the clothing to Sheldon. There was a restroom right next to the waiting room so Sheldon ducked into it and made the transition from his wedding attire into regular every day wear.

"Thank you, Howard" Sheldon nodded as he came out of the restroom. He had his wedding attire neatly folded up. Bernie came and took them from him and told him to sit.

"Howie, take these out and put them in the car. We can drop them off when we take Dr. MacGregor back. Check him out of the hotel and let's let him stay back at the house. It will feel more like he is close to Amy that way" Bernie ordered.

"Right…I agree. On my way, call me if there are any updates" Howard said as he took the clothes from her and began to head out to carry out the orders he had just been given.

Bernie then went to Angus and sat beside him. "I have asked Howard to check you out of the hotel. I thought you should stay back at the house tonight with Sheldon, assuming he goes back. Do you need me to take care of anything else for you?"

Angus was devastated. He was just getting to know his granddaughter and this was too much, especially for a man his age. He nodded and said "Aye, thank you, lassie. You are such a good friend. I will call the airlines, but thank you for arranging me to stay at the house." Bernie patted him on the hand and held it for comfort.

Winston and Jane were in a corner and both were highly concerned. Every time the doors opened form where Amy had been taken they would jump up hoping for some update. They wanted to comfort Sheldon, but felt out of place doing so; therefore they remained a slight distance hoping he would update them if he learned anything.

Mary, Missy and Mee-Maw were with Penny. Leonard stayed by Sheldon to try and comfort him. He had been through so much with Sheldon that to see him this distressed really made Leonard's heart break. He was trying to be strong, but was scared. He didn't know what would happen if the news wasn't good.

Amy had been given X-rays and was wheeled straight into surgery. The surgical team was ready and prepared for anything and had all kinds of specialists on hand. Until the films could be processed, they were not sure what all they may be dealing with. Within minutes later, the first films came up and the surgeons were pouring over them. Dr. Mark Jensen was the surgeon in charge.

"We are going to need a cardiopulmonary specialist and a neurosurgeon here STAT" he ordered to the nurse. "Have Kip Wong and Jeff Kryzanski paged, they are the top in these fields" Dr. Jensen barked. Within seconds Amy's family and friends who were waiting heard the two physicians paged over the intercom STAT. Leonard already had the hospital staff up on his cell phone looking at the names that were paged.

"Sheldon, they just paged a cardiopulmonary surgeon and a neurosurgeon" Leonard informed.

"Oh Lord, NO…no…no…no..!" Sheldon put his hands to his face and buried it in them, sinking down into a chair. A couple of moments later he lifted his head up and asked "Leonard, tell me about their credentials…are they top?" Sheldon asked…eyes red and wet.

"Yes, Sheldon, they are the best on the staff."

"Dr. Sheldon Cooper?" A woman asked, having come from the area where Amy had been taken.

"Yes, that's me" Sheldon ran to the nurse. "Is Amy going to be okay? What can you tell me about her condition?"

"Dr. Cooper, she is in critical condition. I came out to tell you that she is already up in surgery and a team is already working on her. Dr. Mark Jensen will come and update you as soon as he can. He asked that you move to the third floor surgical waiting area. He will be looking there for you for updates. Take the elevators, going down this hall, turn left and go up to the third floor. Once you get off of the elevators, turn right and then left through the double doors and check in with the desk there. They will be expecting you."

Sheldon nodded and immediately turned to the family "She is in surgery and we are to wait on the third floor surgical waiting area" he said as he began to head toward the elevators. Leonard kept up with him and they caught the first elevator. Others followed in two subsequent elevators.

"Buddy, she has hung on this long…she is a fighter and finally feels like she has something to live for…you, Sheldon…you are her whole life. She isn't going to give up" Leonard tried to encourage. "You would be doing the same if it were in reverse. You would not give up knowing she would be alone and she won't give up knowing you would be alone."

Sheldon nodded. He was crying and couldn't speak, but he agreed with Leonard. He knew that Amy would fight for what they had, because he would be doing the same. They loved each other that much and he knew it. He had never known a love like hers.

Getting off of the elevator, they immediately found the waiting area. Sheldon checked in at the desk and the attendant said that Dr. Jensen would be out soon to update him. He would want to speak with him privately and then let Sheldon update others.

Shortly after Sheldon had checked in, the others arrived and began to sit down around the room. It was very large and had a lot of seating, TVs, magazines and a bookshelf that contained a fair number of books as well as some games.

Bernie texted Raj. Raj had just arrived with Alex to the hospital. They had stopped by both of their apartments to change before coming. She told them to come up to the third floor surgical waiting area. She then texted Howard and Stuart to let them both know that Amy was in surgery and that they were all waiting on the third floor and didn't know much else, but the fact that she was strong enough to endure surgery was a good sign.

"Dr. Sheldon Cooper?" asked a man of great stature, at least 6'4" in height and probably about 190 pounds with salt and pepper colored hair showing through on the sides below his surgical hat.

Sheldon ran over to the man and the two walked off to a small room on the side. Sheldon was nervous. He had no idea what this man was going to be telling him. He asked "Do you mind if my friend Leonard came in here with me? I would like a second pair of ears." Dr. Jensen nodded consent so Sheldon turned and yelled from the doorway "Leonard, come here. He said it is okay if you are with me." Leonard was good in a crisis like this because he tended to stay level headed. The part of Beverly that he inherited came through during a crisis. He became very methodical and logical. Leonard hopped up and ran to the room and joined the two men.

"Dr. Cooper, I want to give you what we know so far, which isn't as much as we would like to know" Dr. Jensen started. "Amy endured a bullet entry from the right upper side, just under the breast area, that traveled through the lung and possibly punctured the cardio wall. We won't know much about that until they do a preliminary suction which is going on right now, and will follow that again with more X-rays. A tech is on hand with a portable unit here in the surgical ward that can get us results back almost instantaneously." Dr. Jensen took a couple of moments to let that sink in and see if Sheldon had any questions.

"What exactly does that mean? Is that repairable?" Sheldon finally asked.

"Yes, and actually that is the least of our concerns. We believe that with the staff we have here on board, she will easily recover from any incident or damage, and depending on what we learn after the suction, surgery may not even be indicated. Her heart beat is still strong and she seems to be in great health otherwise. Her greatest risk with this type of injury would be pneumonia."

"So, you said that was the least of your concerns. What does that mean?" Sheldon tentatively asked.

"The bullet, once it traveled through those areas, ended up lodging itself right next to the spinal column. It is in a very tenuous location and depending on the type of bullet, the depth of penetration, the biggest concern would be to the subarachnoid wall, we won't know what kind of damage, if any, could be permanent" Dr. Jensen somberly reported.

Sheldon and Leonard took a while to absorb what they had been told. "Will they be able to remove the bullet today?" Sheldon finally asked. He wasn't sure what to ask at this point. He couldn't think clearly. All he knew was that the woman he loved more than life itself was lying there with so many critical injuries and he didn't even know if she would have permanent damage from any of them.

"Mark, we need you in here STAT" A nurse poked her head from double doors and yelled to him. He jumped up and excused himself "Excuse me. I will return when I can. I need to see what is going on." Dr. Mark Jensen went through the surgical doors, leaving Sheldon and Leonard bewildered and frightened.

"Oh Lord…why did they need him? Leonard…you don't think?" Sheldon couldn't even say it.

"No, they probably needed to ask for his opinion as he is the lead surgeon" Leonard tried to reassure, but he himself was not that convinced.

The two men sat in the small room for a few minutes longer and finally exited it and joined the others. Everyone was looking at the two of them with anxious faces.

"We don't know much yet. They don't know the extent of damage, but the bullet traveled a great deal through her cardiopulmonary area and is lodged against her spine" Sheldon finally was able to muster the words to inform.

"Oh dear Jesus!" Mary exclaimed. "Mom, let's go down to the chapel right now and pray. Penny will call me if there is any news" she said, looking at Penny for confirmation and receiving it. Mary and Mee-Maw head back downstairs to the hospital chapel. Jane asked if she could join them and went with them. Others that decided to join them were Bernadette, Angus, and Missy.

Raj and Alex stayed with Penny. She needed comfort and Leonard was busy trying to comfort Sheldon. So they became her support during this crisis. It gave Alex a chance to mend any hard feelings from the past crush she had on Leonard as well. She liked Penny and wanted Penny to like her back. Raj texted Stuart with an update.

Sheldon watched the group of faithful family members head down to the chapel. For once, he didn't mind that there were going to be a lot of people praying for his wife. If he believed in any sort of deity, now would be the time to do so. He was still convinced it was hokum, yet there was something nagging at him he couldn't explain.

"Leonard, have you ever believed in a deity? Do you pray to him?" Sheldon asked.

"Sheldon, I honestly don't know if there is one or not, but yes, I have found myself wondering at times and when I am facing things like you are facing right now, I think it is a time when praying sometimes helps."

Sheldon only nodded and kept thinking about it. He pondered why he felt drawn to pray right now. Perhaps he should do so. Sheldon went back to the small room where the doctor had spoken to him to be alone. He didn't want anyone to mock him at this point. He just needed to spill out everything to someone and even if there wasn't a deity, at least he would get it off his chest.

"Dear Lord, if you exist, I know I haven't been a very faithful follower and can't even say I believe in you now. But I don't know where else to turn. I need you to help Amy. Lord, she is everything to me and as my Mama says, you were the one that brought us together. Please help her now. Let us continue to be together and don't take her from me. Lord, heal her. You claim to be the Master Healer, so I ask you heal her, naturally, supernaturally, with the help of the surgeons, however, I don't care. Just heal her. If you exist, show me a sign so that I know and won't doubt again. I know I call You hokum, and perhaps You are, but just in case You are real, then I ask, not for me, but for her. Take this pain away, heal her and bring her back to me. Save her. Um….Amen I guess?"

Even though the prayer was short, it seemed like it took forever to get out. He cried through the whole prayer and had to stop and start many times, but eventually it all came out. Just as he had finished, Dr. Jensen walked into the room.

"Dr. Cooper, may I interrupt?" Dr. Jensen could tell Sheldon had been praying.

"Yes, please. Do you have an update?" Sheldon asked, for the first time he was a little hopeful.

"Yes actually. It is fairly good news. It seems that the damage to the cardiopulmonary area is very minimal and has already begun to heal itself. No surgery will be required to that area. The only area of concern is the location of the bullet and surgery is underway. She is really strong and all her vitals are good. So far she has been doing very well. The surgery is a lengthy one and probably will take at least three hours. I suggest you have a bite to eat and even go home for a little while to work out some of the stress you are feeling."

"With all due respect, I will not be leaving this place until I know that Amy is coming home with me" Sheldon was determined to not leave her.

"She will be going into recovery following surgery and likely the Intensive Care Unit. We can arrange to have a portable bed brought in for you if you wish" Dr. Jensen could see he would not win this battle with Sheldon.

"Fine, yes, I would like a bed."

"I will notify the staff and they will have it ready for you when she comes out of recovery. It may take a few days before Amy will respond to know what the extent of damage has been. I just want to set your expectations ahead" Dr. Jensen warned.

Sheldon nodded. "Thank you. I will be here until she is moved to the unit and our room. Please have someone update me as you can."

Dr. Jensen returned to the operating room and left Sheldon in the room. Sheldon considered all that the doctor had told him and realized he had been given a miracle already. Amy's cardiopulmonary system was already healing and didn't require any extra surgery. He realized that perhaps it wasn't hokum…that there really was a deity, but he would wait to make sure. He would continue to have doubt at least until Amy had been fully recovered. His mind wandered to the honeymoon they were supposed to be taking and realized he had forgotten to cancel arrangements. He would ask Leonard or Howard to call the airlines for him and explain the situation. He would probably have to pay some fee for postponement, but they may allow the tickets to still be used over the next year.

Sheldon went back to the waiting room and Winston approached him. "How are you holding up, Dr. Cooper?" Winston asked.

Turning to look at Winston and others in the waiting room, he replied "I just spoke to Dr. Jensen. He said that the cardiopulmonary area was not as extensive as they thought and was already healing on its own so would not need surgery. The major concern is the bullet location and the possible damage associated with where it lodged and the removal."

"Well it is encouraging that she doesn't need both surgeries" Winston was relieved to hear that it wasn't as bad as initially thought. "I have been on the phone with the police department. They don't have any updates, but the license number revealed that it was probably a stolen plate" Winston informed. "Jane is downstairs with the others in the chapel. I think I would like to join them. Can you call me if there is any update?"

"Yes, I will. Please update everyone that is in the chapel. I will remain here until they move her to the ICU. Then I will be with her until I can bring her home" Sheldon informed.

"I had suspected that you would want to stay here. I will let the others know."

"Can you ask my sister to come up here? I would like to give her some instructions" Sheldon requested.

"Sure" Winston replied. After a couple of moments he turned back to Sheldon and said "She will be all right, won't she?" Concern was written all across his face. "I may not have been the best father, but she is my only child. She means the world to me."

Sheldon looked up at Winston and really saw for the first time a grieving father. Winston was riddled with pain and concern. No one had paid much attention to Winston and Jane at the wedding, nor at the hospital. He felt bad and he wished Amy could see it. "I believe so. I am feeling quite hopeful actually" Sheldon tried his best to smile. He really did feel more hopeful, but would not be satisfied until he knew she was out of the woods and on the road to full recovery.

Amy was lying on the table, a portion of her back was cut open and the surgeon and his assistant were both wearing microscopic lenses, their hands doing very fine and careful work. While surgery was well underway, Amy's blood pressure dropped rapidly and she went into cardiac arrest.

Amy felt light and floating. She looked down and could see the team working on her body while she was floating above. She could actually see people in the chapel praying for her. She could see Sheldon and others and their distress. There was another presence with her, a female presence. She realized it was Iona. They seemed to communicate although not verbally with their mouths. Yet Amy knew immediately it was Iona and Iona had come to tell her something important. She listened as Iona downloaded and gave her a lot of information. Then suddenly, Amy rejoined her body and was brought back to stable condition. The surgeons were able to continue to resume their procedure.

A couple of hours later, Dr. Jensen and Dr. Kryzanski came out of the surgical suite doors. "Dr. Cooper?"

Sheldon immediately ran to the small room "Yes, is the operation over? Is she okay?"

"It was touch and go for a while. She went into cardiac arrest briefly. Her pressure dropped drastically. It ends up that while common for the type of injury she endured and the location of the injury, her already compromised cardiopulmonary area also contributed to the interruption. Once we determined the cause and took care of it, her pressure came back and she went through the rest of the procedure well." Dr. Jensen updated. "Dr. Kryzanski would like to now explain about her neurosurgical procedure."

Sheldon nodded and was relieved that Amy was brought back while in the operating room. "Yes, please, do tell me how it went and whether she will recover fully."

"Amy had a bullet lodged in the T6 segment and we were not sure if it had penetrated the subarachnoid space or not. If it had, it would mean that the injury could result in permanent damage. As it was, it only penetrated the epidural space. She may experience breathing difficulties for the next few days so we are going to keep her assisted with technology to ease her into breathing on her own. She also may experience further arrests due to the nature of the injury. T6 section is responsible for thoracic, cardiopulmonary and digestive functions. Therefore any of these organs could result in complications for her until healing begins to take place."

"So do you anticipate her to be in ICU for a few days?" Sheldon wasn't sure what even to ask in this case. "Is she out of the woods, so to speak?"

"Yes, she will be in ICU for at least two days or more and no, not completely out of the woods. This was a risky surgery and the nature and extent of the injuries are critical, I won't lie to you. However, I believe a positive outcome. I think she is strong and healthy and she came through it overall pretty well. Although she endured the arrest on the table, that isn't completely unusual, especially since her cardiopulmonary area was already compromised" Dr. Kryzanski replied.

"How long will she be in recovery? When will I be able to see her?" Sheldon asked wide-eyed.

"She will likely be in recovery for another hour or two and then moved to ICU. However, if they have space earlier, we may just move her to ICU to recover since they are well equipped to handle her recovery there. You can come back with me to recovery, but she won't know you are there." Dr. Kryzanski continued.

"Can you give me a moment? I would like to update my friend so he can update everyone else in the family" Sheldon asked. He walked out and found Leonard and updated him on Amy's condition. He asked that Leonard text everyone with updates and to make sure Missy came to see him before she left the hospital.

Sheldon had not been in the Recovery Room more than 10 minutes when a bed opened up in ICU and they began the process of moving her to ICU. He went with her. Once they had her settled, he texted Leonard the room number in ICU and told him to have the family come and wait in the ICU waiting area if they were staying around. Anyone that wanted to go home could.

Sheldon then texted Howard and asked that he pack up some clothes, pajamas, his robe, underwear, etc. for him to wear while at the hospital. He asked him to also have Bernadette bring a few of Amy's pajamas and robe in case they let her change into them.

"Sugar, you don't know how hard it has been to find you!" Missy said as she came into the room. She looked over and saw Amy and her eyes welled up. "I heard you wanted to see me?"

Sheldon signaled for her to follow him just outside the door. "Yes, can you please make sure to take Mom, Mee-Maw home and I want you all to stay there. Also make sure Angus stays at the house. He can stay in the room he already slept in. You can sleep down in the basement. Put Mom up in the Master suite and Mee-Maw in my old room. I also need you to ask Angus to call the airlines and explain what happened and to request they give an extension period of grace to reschedule. This is important to do because otherwise we will pay for tickets we never used. Tell him that if he has to return, I will understand, but if he can stay here, we would like him to do that. Also, keep your phones nearby. I will be texting updates."

"Sure, Shelly. I will be glad to do that. Give my girl a kiss when you can. I am so sorry, Sugar…I mean you should be off having great sex with her right now and instead…." Missy couldn't even finish the sentence. Her voice trembled and she had to look away.

"We will pull through this. I am convinced Amy will recover and I don't want to hear anyone say otherwise" Sheldon became firm, refusing to hear anything negative.

"Yes, of course, Shelly. She is going to be just fine and you will be able to make up for all this lost time. Just let her know we love her" Missy said. With that she went back to gather up the women and head back to the house.

Sheldon got settled in with Amy in the ICU room. She was still officially in "recovery" but on occasion, she would try to mumble and to move one of her arms as if trying to rub her nose or face. She was unsuccessful at both attempts, of course, since she was on a ventilator as part of her recovery process. Then she would fall right back to sleep.

There was a light knock on the door after about 30 minutes had passed. Sheldon answered the door and Jane was standing there. "I know I shouldn't be here, but is there any way I can at least hear from you the status or see her?" Jane pleaded. Sheldon could see that Jane was in complete distress with eyes red and rimming with tears. She looked tired and as if carrying the weight of the world on her shoulders.

"Come in…you can see Amy for a couple of minutes. Basically, she is in a slow recovery cycle to keep her from going into cardiac arrest. Due to her injuries, arrests are expected and common, but the more we can keep her from arresting, the better the outcome" Sheldon moved so Jane could come in.

"I am so sorry, Sheldon. I am so sorry." Jane was far too emotional to be able to explain what she was apologizing for.

Sheldon just nodded and said "only happy thoughts right now, please."

Jane took Amy's hand and kissed it. She only stayed a couple of minutes, as per Sheldon's orders and was glad she was given the opportunity. "Thank you, Sheldon. I am so glad she married you. You are a good man…the kind of man she deserves." Jane patted Sheldon on the cheek a she said these words in all sincerity and then started to exit.

"Mrs. Fowler, before you leave, can you give me your number so that I can text you any status updates?" Sheldon offered.

She nodded and gave him her number then again thanked him and took her exit.


	44. Chapter 44: An Early AM Visitor

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Sheldon jumped from his chair as he saw Amy stir. He was by her side instantaneously. Amy opened her eyes briefly and saw the tubes coming out of her mouth. She tried to lift her hands up to move them, but went into cardiac arrest. A team came in immediately and began to stabilize. Dr. Sue Li, a specialist in critical care medicine, also in cardiovascular and neurosciences, was leading the team.

"She just tried to wake up and her arms were moving, it looked like to move the tube from her mouth" Sheldon, wide-eyed, told Dr. Li when she first came in. "She seemed distressed to see the tube." Sheldon was visibly shaken; although thankful the staff stabilized her within seconds.

"It is common for a patient with the injury she endured," Dr. Li said trying to calm Sheldon. "She may have repeated number of arrests. We may want to put her on some specific medications that will reduce her chances for cardiac irregular arrhythmias until her cardiopulmonary system has had time to improve. While it is healing, a couple of days could really help her a lot."

"When will that decision be made and what will be the consequences of putting her on these medications?" Sheldon asked.

"It actually can improve her chances of avoiding further arrests and can give her time to heal. There are always risks, given her overall health outside of her inflicted injuries; I think the risk is minimal. The main risk for her right now, which we will also provide medications to try and prevent, would be blood clotting."

"If you think it will keep her from going into further arrests and at minimal risks, I suppose I am in favor of it. I don't want her heart compromised" Sheldon finally said, after giving himself time to consider the option.

"I think it would be better for her in the long run. So do we have your approval?" Dr. Li asked one last time.

"Can I get back to you in a few minutes?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes. She was given a sedative that will keep her stabilized for a while. Please try to let us know within the next two hours" Dr. Li replied.

Dr. Li and the response team left the room once Amy was stabilized, leaving Sheldon to feel a bit helpless. . He didn't like her going into these arrests, nor was he a fan of placing her at risk by putting her on medications he knew nothing about. It was bound to have an impact on her heart if she wasn't put on the medications, yet at the same time, he needed to understand all the side-effects and risks. He didn't know what to do so he decided to pray again. After saying a quick prayer there was a knock on the door and a police detective came into the room.

"Dr. Cooper, could we ask you to step outside and answer some questions?" Detective Vogel asked.

"All right" Sheldon said weakly as he loved over at Amy. She was peacefully asleep, so he slipped out the door to speak with the detective.

"We have not been able to speak with you or your wife, and I would like to get a statement from you. Often those closest to the scene have the most information" the officer informed. "So, in your own words, can you explain exactly what you saw, what you believed happened, and can you provide any information about who might have been angry with Dr. Fowler."

Sheldon nodded. "Amy and I were just exiting the chapel and I had my eyes on her. She was looking at the limo and driver who was holding open the door for her to get inside. We had not quite made it over to the car when we heard sounds that sounded like firecrackers. Everything seems surreal from there. I saw her, almost as if in slow motion, fall and hit the ground, blood starting coming out of her. I was standing there in total shock, frozen. I was unable to move or think. I don't know how long I remained frozen, but after a few minutes, I remember our friend Bernadette coming over and asking me something about Amy's grandfather…I think she wanted his tartan scarf. I know I was bending over Amy by then, but when I knelt down is still foggy to me."

"Bernadette walked away for a few minutes and came back with the scarf and made some sort of tourniquet to slow the bleeding. The next thing I remember was hearing sirens and watching the paramedics. After they managed to check her vitals and assess her ability to ride in the ambulance, they told me I could ride with them and I hopped in." Sheldon felt that his testimony wasn't much help.

"As far as who would wish to harm Amy….I cannot think of a single person that would want to harm her. She never expressed that she had any enemies. Everyone loves her" Sheldon really could not imagine anyone being upset with his precious Amy.

"Did you happen to see any cars or people that were not a wedding guest?"

"No. I mean there was traffic on the street going by, but I wasn't paying attention to it. I didn't see any people other than the guests at the wedding, but I wasn't really paying attention. I was focused on Amy and excited to be leaving the chapel" Sheldon said, blushing. His thoughts had been of a carnal nature, but he didn't want to admit that.

"Yes, I can understand that your mind was otherwise engaged at the time" Detective Vogel smirked. After a couple of moments he asked "How about you, Dr. Cooper…do you have any enemies? Could this have actually been intended for you?"

Sheldon snapped his head up and looked over at the officer. "Are you saying that someone hurt my Amy, trying to get to me?"

"It is a possibility. We need to cover all possible angles."

"Oh Lord, please don't tell me that I am responsible for my Amy lying in that bed right now" Sheldon went white. He knew he kept his list of mortal enemies, although many on the list would have no idea they were on it. He finally, after several moments said weakly "I certainly have people I have placed on a list, but most are not aware they are on my list."

"Can I get a copy of your list?" Detective Vogel asked. Vogel was beginning to wonder about Dr. Cooper. Who in the world keeps a list of enemies? He scratched his head and thought that the man was truly eccentric.

Sheldon nodded and said, "I can ask my friend to bring me my computer so that I can get a copy mailed to you. Can you leave me your email address?"

"Yes. Here is my card. Please email me the list and if you can think of anything…a sound, smell, movement of something…anything you noticed at all, please let me know. We will be back in touch with you again soon."

" In case you have not been updated, the license plates were likely stolen from the car described by two of your guests that were eye-witnesses. Do you know anyone with the make and model of the car I am about to describe to you? It is a 1981 canary yellow Lincoln Continental with the following bumper stickers on the bumper and back of the car: 1) Coexist, 2) Scientists Do It Repeatedly, 3) Evil Mad Science and 4) Science is my religion?"

Sheldon thought long and hard and finally said "No, but it is not that uncommon to see those kind of bumper stickers in any scientific oriented school parking lot. It could be a common car in Cal Tech or at UCLA."

"So you believe it to belong to someone in one of the two schools?" Detective Vogel pushed.

"No, not necessarily, but it wouldn't be unusual to see a car with those kind of bumper stickers at one of those two any University. It probably would belong to a student as opposed to a faculty member, however" Sheldon pointed out.

"Why do you say that?"

"Because a faculty member would probably have a newer vehicle, but students often have older vehicles, even if they are gas guzzling ones as you described. Also, students tend to be more socially active than faculty members so feel a need to plaster bumper stickers on their care more often than a faculty member would be willing to do."

"Thank you, Dr. Cooper. I will be back in touch and don't forget to send me your list." The detective put out his hand to shake Sheldon's and Sheldon obliged. He watched the man leave down the hall and then slipped back into the room with Amy. Looking at Amy reminded him that he had a decision to make, but not enough data to go on. He pulled out his phone and called Howard.

"Howard Wolowitz."

"Howard, it's Sheldon, can you bring me my computer? I need to send something to the detectives on the case and I also need to research something in the next hour so I can get back to Amy's doctors on a medication regimen they are proposing. I want to look at the risks before I answer them."

"Where is your laptop?"

"It's down in the basement on my desk. Bring the power cord as well, please."

"Do you want anything else brought there?" Howard asked. He really didn't want to be running back and forth over and over, especially because it was now after 10 PM and he had to work the next morning.

"No, I think that is all I need…except, maybe my whiteboard."

"How's Amy? Anything I can report back to everyone here at your house?"

"She had another arrest. That is what I am researching. They want to propose some medications to reduce her probability of further arrests, but those also have side effects and I want to see what those are." Sheldon hoped that the side effects were minimal as was suggested and that he could recommend something to stop the arrests.

"Okay. Bernie and I were planning on just sleeping on the fold-out couch downstairs if it is all right with you. Missy said she would go stay at Penny's because she didn't want to stay downstairs. Bernie wanted to be here to watch over your family while you are at the hospital and make sure that they are taken care of."

"I appreciate that, and yes, that is fine. So did Missy already leave to go to Penny's?"

"Yes, she left a while ago."

"Okay. How are Mee-Maw and Angus doing?" Sheldon was concerned about both of them because they were older and this was distressing to both.

"They are doing as well as can be expected. They are very worried, but doing okay. Both are now in bed. Well we can talk more when I drop off your computer. I am on my way." Howard said and disconnected the call.

While Sheldon waited for Howard to arrive, he went out into the waiting room to see if anyone was still there. The only people still in the waiting room were Winston and Jane. He went over to them.

"She had another arrest. Dr. Fowler, can you tell me everything you know about Heparin and what it would do if Amy were put on it, as well as on Brevibloc? In particular how do they interact with each other, what it would do to a patient in Amy's condition, and what side-effects or risks do we need to be concerned about?"

"Is that what they are proposing? Oh dear, I was expecting they may want to put her on Warfarin, or under brand name of Coumadin, but not Brevibloc as well. The Heparin is used to prevent any sort of embolism, or blood clot, which is essential to prevent in anyone, especially in a patient in her condition. She will be inactive and clotting can be fatal. But the Brevibloc tells me that she has been having tachycardia or cardiac arrests and is expected to possibly have more. I am assuming they are only hoping to have to use the Brevibloc for a few days or at most two weeks?"

"I honestly don't know. Do you mind joining me in Amy's room so that we can call Dr. Li in and ask her more specific questions?"

"Yes, by all means. I know Sue personally, so it should not be a problem."

"Mrs. Fowler, if you don't want to be waiting by yourself, you are welcome to join us" Sheldon felt bad that she would be left alone. He may not approve of what Winston and Jane did to Amy and how they treated her, but he also knew that both of them did love Amy. He could see it in their eyes and could also see their awkwardness about the whole family dynamic right now.

"Thank you, Sheldon. I would like that. Maybe I could just sit with Amy while you and Winston talk over the medication regimen with Dr. Li" Jane got up and started heading toward the room with the men. "Could you please call me Jane instead of making it sound like we barely know each other? Same with Winston, just call him Winston?"

Sheldon nodded and opened the door to Amy's room. He pressed the nurse call button and when she replied asked that they be able to speak with Dr. Li as they had more questions for her. The nurse left the room to send in Dr. Li. Jane in the meantime went to stand next to Amy and wanted so badly to be able to stroke her hair, but it was still up in a cap from when she had undergone surgery. Instead she just took Amy's hand and stroked it with her other hand, talking softly to her and not really saying much of importance…just rambled.

After speaking with Dr. Li, Winston and Sheldon learned that she would only be on Brevibloc for a couple of days, or a week at the outset. It would depend on how quickly her injuries healed, which were already well underway. The damage to the heart wall was miniscule from the bullet, and while more to the lung, it too was not very extensive and was already regenerating and healing. So they did not expect her to have to be on the drug for long. Likewise, it would give a few days for the spinal injury to begin to heal and that also would minimize her risks.

The Heparin, which would work immediately, would be used for a couple of days and they would move her to Warfarin (Coumadin) instead which would take a couple of days to begin to work. She would need to remain on blood thinners for around a month. Following that, using a low-dosage aspirin could be used to keep her blood thinned for any recovery needed beyond a month. While the side effects were of concern, given her healthy condition before the inflicted injuries, she was a very unlikely candidate to suffer any of those conditions. She would be heavily monitored for any adverse effects, watching her electrolyte levels as well. If there were any signs she was having any side-effects they would be immediately consulted. Winston gave Sheldon his blessing and so Sheldon gave Dr. Li his blessing as well.

Dr. Li asked that the nurse start her on the new orders immediately and left the room. The nurse left briefly and came back in with the prescribed orders and began to administer them through Amy's IV.

"I believe Jane and I will wait in the lobby for another hour or so. Please update us again before we leave?" Winston asked, signaling to Jane it was time for them to go back out and wait in the lobby.

"Yes, I will come back out. If she wakes up, I will let you know" nodded, while not keeping his eyes off of Amy. "Thank you, Dr. Fowler...I mean Winston. I am glad you were able to help clarify the proposed medications."

Winston nodded and then he and Jane took their leave to go back to the ICU waiting lobby.

Howard had dropped off Sheldon's laptop, whiteboard, and he even brought Sheldon a couple of computer games and a DVD in case he got bored. After an update from Sheldon, he left to go back to Sheldon and Amy's house and report to the others on the latest. He and Bernie would be staying in the basement, although Howard would go by his mother's house in the morning to help her with her morning routine.

Sheldon called Missy.

"Sugar, it's late. Is everything okay with Amy?" Missy answered.

"She is still asleep, but hopefully will not have any further arrests. She had another one tonight, after the operation" Sheldon relayed, his voice showing exhaustion. "Is Leonard there?"

"No, he is over at your old apartment. He and Penny are gonna sleep there so I can have Penny's bed" Missy explained.

"Oh, okay. Well I will let you know if anything else changes" Sheldon informed.

"G'night Shelly. I love you and give my girl a kiss from me" Missy said, her voice cracking with emotion at the thought of Amy lying in the hospital when she should be off having sex with her brother…which gave her a thought of…ewww…even though she would rather be thinking icky thoughts of their sex life than about Amy in a life and death fight in the hospital.

"Will do, love you too, Miss" Sheldon said as he disconnected the call. He was about to call Leonard when he heard Amy stirring.

Amy's eyes fluttered open and she blinked several times, trying to adjust from a state of sleep to being awake. Sheldon immediately was over to her side.

"Hey, Beautiful. I love you so much and am so glad to see those green cat eyes of yours" Sheldon smiled, holding her hand and looking down at her.

Using her free hand, Amy tried to figure out why she couldn't talk and what was on her face. She kept brushing against the tube when Sheldon finally took his other hand and grabbed her free hand and placed it next to her. "You can't do that. You are on a ventilator right now to help you breathe. Your lungs need time to relax and so does your heart so the machine is doing a lot of work for you." Sheldon explained. "So no messing with the tubes" he said, teasingly in a way, yet with authority.

Amy looked at him with large eyes, as if afraid. She really had no idea what happened and what was going on.

"You don't know what happened, do you?" He realized she was confused.

She shook her head in response.

"Amy…as we left the chapel someone fired a gun, and the bullet hit you. You had some surgery and the damages were of a critical nature. But you are already starting to heal and if you keep calm and quiet, your body will heal faster. I will be staying right here next to you until you can come home with me" Sheldon continued to elaborate. "So if you promise to not play with the tubing, I will let go of your hand" he said, still holding down her other hand that tried to brush the tubing away.

Amy seemed to understand she had to be calm and quiet and she liked hearing Sheldon would be with her and that was enough for her for now. She had all kinds of questions, but she could wait. Just looking into his blue eyes was enough. She continued to give him what they were famously known for, eye-coitus. He returned and they remained like that for several moments. He knew it was now safe to move his hand from holding her down, so he released it and enjoyed being lost in her eyes.

"Jane and Winston are in the waiting room. They are anxious to see you and to know you are doing okay before they head home. Do you mind if I go get them?"

Amy kept looking at him and finally moved her head as if shaking it "no" with a slight shrug of her shoulders.

"That's my woman, strong as ever! I love you Dr. Amy Farrah Cooper!" Sheldon smiled and leaned down to kiss her forehead. Oh how he wanted to kiss her lips right now, but he couldn't think about that because he wanted to be doing more than kissing her. "I will be right back. Just close your eyes until I come back with them."

She nodded as best she could with the ventilator paraphernalia attached to her. Sheldon slipped out of the room and quickly down the hall to the waiting area.

"Amy is awake and I thought you two might want to see her before you left tonight" Sheldon said to Jane and Winston as he walked up to them. "Make sure to not say anything at all that will excite her or trouble her in any way" he continued to instruct.

"No problem. We understand completely" Winston said, while Jane held her hand over her mouth and eyes welled up. She was so happy she was going to get to see Amy and that she was awake.

The trio walked into the room and Sheldon went up to Amy first. "Amy? I'm back and have your parents with me" Sheldon said gently, waiting until she opened her eyes again. She looked up at him and again got lost in his eyes. He got lost in hers briefly as well. After a couple of moments of eye-coitus passed, he cleared his throat and looked up to Winston and Jane and said "Why don't you both come closer so she can see you" and Sheldon stepped away to move to the other side of her bed.

"Oh Amy, I am so glad you are awake" Jane said, not really knowing what was appropriate to say at this point in the game. It was awkward and had been ever since she knew that Amy found out about Iona and they really never had much of a conversation about it since. It was an elephant always hanging in the room and she knew they had a lot of emotions that still had to be sorted.

Amy slightly nodded as if she comprehended what she said. Her eyes became soft and presented a slight smile, despite her mouth not being able to curve up into a smile. It was all Jane needed. It warmed her heart. "Sweetie, you need to rest and get better. You have a honeymoon to take still and your husband has been so loving and good" Jane continued…realizing she was not telling Amy anything she didn't already know and probably looked foolish.

"Amy, it's your father" Winston moved into closer view, while Jane stepped back. "I wanted to tell you, you were the most beautiful bride and I am proud of you" Winston said, also feeling a bit foolish. Why couldn't he talk to his daughter like a normal person? Winston moved his hand under hears and gave her a quick squeeze. Amy responded with patting his hand as if she understood and accepted his statement.

Winston's eyes welled up and he turned and looked over at Sheldon. Looking back down to Amy he said, "Baby, we are doing to let you get more rest and will see you again tomorrow. Your husband will keep us updated should you need us before we plan to come. We will be here in the morning just following breakfast. Sleep well." He patted her hand and then drew away from the bed. Jane came over and smiled and kissed her forehead "Goodnight baby, and sleep well."

With that they both nodded to Sheldon and Winston said "We will be back in the morning. You have my wife's number in case anything changes. Thank you for taking care of her." Sheldon nodded back. They slipped out the door and left. Sheldon moved back around to the other side of the bed.

He looked down at his beautiful bride, who all of the ventilator tubing in the world could not take that beauty away…not even that yucky yellow disinfectant cleanser they used in the operating room. Amy smiled with her eyes up at him, her eyes bright and showing happiness. It melted his heart. His eyes welled up, but he had to be strong. He didn't want her to see him crying. He smiled back and blinked the tears away.

"Are you comfortable?" Sheldon asked? She nodded and gave a slight shrug. "Yes, I guess it is impossible to be truly comfortable in a hospital, isn't it? I think I will signal the nurse that I am going to change into my PJ's now, so will be locking the door for a couple of moments" he told Amy. Her eyes brightened even larger at the idea of seeing him change in the room. It make Sheldon chuckle. He pressed the button for the nurse. Explaining his plan, he said the door would only be locked for a couple of moments while he changed. He looked up to where the cameras were pointing and made sure to step out of view and began to strip down and change into his PJ's and put on his robe. He then unlocked the door.

"Amy, I am just going to be right over here on the bed in a little while because I didn't get much sleep last night and now that I know you are doing better, I am finding it hard to stay awake" Sheldon said.

Amy nodded. He stayed with her for another 30 minutes, right next to her side. Amy's eyes started to get heavy with a need for sleep as well and so she drifted off. He kissed her forehead and stroked her cheek, what little was still exposed, with his hand. Moving over to the portable bed, he crawled under the covers and lay on his side and looked over at her. His eyes grew heavy and he fell off to sleep.

Sheldon slept fitfully. While asleep he could not help but try and analyze all of the information the detective had asked and given him as a result of their interview. His mind was trying to come up with answers that he just didn't really have.

"BEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEP !"


	45. Chapter 45: Iona's Heart

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Around 3 AM, Sheldon was awakened to the sound of an alarm and medical staff rushing into the room. Amy had Dr. Li and several others rapidly working around her. The doctor seemed relieved once the beep on the monitor stayed normal and reset so the alarm had been cleared. He was confused at first, forgetting where he was and once he got his bearings asked "What happened? Did she have another arrest?"

"No, it appears someone came into the room while you were asleep though. They managed to cut her tubing" Dr. Li was holding up a part of Amy's tubing that had been sliced. It was clear it was intentional. Someone was purposely trying to harm Amy. "I have replaced it and she is fine. Did you see anyone come into the room?"

"No, I think I was in early REM when the alarm and the sound of you and the staff working around Amy" Sheldon said, running his fingers through his hair. "I find this whole thing preposterous. Who would want to harm her? How did I not hear them? I have Vulcan hearing."

Dr. Li chuckled, "Vulcan hearing? Now I have heard everything."

"Seriously, I can hear things a far distance, just like Dr. Spock on Star Trek" Sheldon was indignant that she made fun of one of his better assets.

The doctor looked at him for a couple moments and realized he was a rare bird. She finally answered his original question. "I don't know who would do such a thing, but I have asked the head nurse to call the authorities" Dr. Li said, taking the tubing and placing it inside of a plastic bag. Holding it up she said "We will have it tested to see if they can find any prints."

"Yes, please do." Sheldon was bewildered. He could not imagine who would want to harm Amy. After a couple of moments, when he happened to just look up to think he noticed the camera. "Ask your security staff to go through security tapes" he said as he pointed up toward the camera. "Maybe with any luck, it will show us who it was."

"Yes, it might be the one thing that will help break the case for you." Dr. Li agreed. She called to the head of security and asked for the tapes to be taken immediately so they would not be overwritten and be made available for the authorities.

A knock at the door and then it opened revealed Detective Vogel.

"Come in, please" Sheldon said.

"Yes, here you may want to check for prints on this. We just ordered the tapes from the cameras to be ready for you as well" Dr. Li informed.

Vogel looked at the tubing and shook his head. "Dr. Cooper, I think we should now look more closely at your list of enemies and when your wife is able to speak, I need to talk to her immediately. Do you know of anyone at her labs that could be jealous or upset with her?"

Sheldon thought long and hard. He did know that Amy had mentioned that there was a new person that just joined the staff, but nothing about any trouble between them. He couldn't think of anyone else that she was having problems with either. "No, no not that I know of. She has always gotten along well with her colleagues. Her students seem to love her."

"Are there any new members on your staff or hers that could have a beef with her?"

"She had a new woman join their staff recently, but she has not mentioned having any problems with her. She has only been on staff a month or so that I am aware of" Sheldon replied. "I don't even know her name. Our most recent member on staff is my assistant, but she has been on staff now for at least three months and has always gotten along with Amy."

"Your assistant is, who?"

"Alexandra Jensen" Sheldon replied.

"And what do you know of her background?" Vogel asked.

"Her father is an astrophysicist at SETI, she grew up in Iowa and graduated Summa Cum Laude from Stanford University in theoretical physics and is currently working on her doctorate at Cal Tech. I did a complete background check on her criminal, credit and medical records before hiring her."

"I'm sorry, what is SETI?"

"Search for Extra Terrestrial Intelligence Institute…they do scientific research looking for proof of life in the universe outside of Earth."

"Ah…okay got you. So she has not shown any signs of being upset with either you or Dr. Cooper, your wife that is?"

"No, Sir. She has been a very conscientious worker and has integrated well into our circle of friends."

"We will be speaking with her direct. Thank you for your help. I had better get to the security office and pick up tapes. Hopefully those will give us some key evidence" Detective Vogel said as he took his exit.

Sheldon just stared at the door for a good long minute. He finally turned around and looked over at Amy who seemed to be peacefully asleep. He walked over and just had to hold her hand. He missed being with her so much and just couldn't fathom who would want to harm her. His shoulders began to shudder as he began to sob. Letting go of her hand, he walked back over to the bed he had been sleeping in and curled up and sobbed, releasing all of the pain and fear that he had been holding inside. He had been strong and good until being awoken to find someone really was out to get Amy. Before that, he just assumed it must have been a random shooting. Now he knew it was intentional. He wasn't sure, but he had to come up with a better plan to ensure she was being watched at all hours.

At 6:00 AM Sheldon was again awoken, this time by the medical staff who came in to do their normal round of vitals on Amy before the doctor would come in at 7AM to check on her. He watched and noted each person, and for once he actually felt they were competent and didn't have to worry about them. As he watched, more absent mindedly after a while, his mind wandered to earlier that morning. He was curious whether the detectives were able to find anything on the video tapes. He decided to use this time…while Amy was surrounded by staff, who were now moving her over to a temporary bed so they could change her bedding and her bandaging…to go shower and dress.

"I am going to shower while you are with her. I will be out here shortly" Sheldon said as he rummaged through his things and pulled out his toiletries, as well as clean clothing. He then went into the small bathroom attached to the room and locked the door.

About ten minutes later, Sheldon emerged from the bathroom, dressed, hair wet, yet combed in place and with clean teeth. He had folded up his pajamas and placed all his dirty clothing into a small bag that would keep his clean clothes separate from his dirty clothes. One of the staff on board asked him to make sure to call down and order his breakfast. He perused the menu and selected oatmeal, fruit, bacon, orange juice and hot tea. Lifting up the hospital room phone he called in his order.

The staff finished changing the bedding and the dressing around Amy's surgical wound then made their exit. Amy was now wide awake from all of the poking and prodding done to her.

Around 6:30 AM, Amy took her hand and kind of hit against the rail to get Sheldon's attention, who had been absorbed in thoughts as he was looking at his whiteboard. He had decided that if he were going to be spending several days or possibly even a week or more at the hospital, that he could get some work accomplished while there. That way when Amy was fully recovered, they could go on their long-awaited honeymoon. Sheldon turned toward the noise.

"Amy, you are up! Good morning, Beautiful!" he said, rushing over to the bed with a huge smile on his face. She looked up at his eyes and her eyes brightened. She took her hand and pointed at the apparatus in her mouth. Sheldon repeated "you need that to help you continue to breathe. You can't remove it until the doctors say it is safe." Sheldon informed. He looked at Amy and realized that she looked a lot better. Her color was coming back to look more normal. He had forgotten to ask the nurses about her vitals. He made a mental note to ask.

After a couple of moments, Sheldon realized Amy was trying to point to her stomach. "Are you hungry? Is that what you are trying to tell me?" Amy nodded in the affirmative.

"This is good news. I will let the nurses know" Sheldon said. He pushed on the button and within moments a nurse came in. "Amy is pointing to her stomach and I asked her if she was hungry and she nodded in the affirmative" Sheldon informed the nurse.

"She is on an NPO order, meaning she is not allowed any food or drink right now" the nurse informed.

"How is she supposed to get nutrients?" Sheldon didn't like this news.

"Through her IV line she is receiving supplemental fluids to provide her nutrients. I am assuming they will start her on fluids and then liquids probably sometime later today, if she can get weaned off the ventilator successfully."

"When will they be removing the ventilator?" Sheldon was wide-eyed, unsure whether to be encouraged or not.

"Possibly later this morning, although we won't know much until her blood-work comes back" the nurse continued. "She does have slight fever, but that is to be expected after the type of surgery she had and isn't too much of a concern at the moment. We will monitor her temperature closely."

"Thank you" Sheldon responded.

The nurse left the room and within moments there was a knock and the cafeteria worker came with a tray of food. Sheldon felt a little guilty having food when Amy could not eat. He asked that it be set in a place that was harder to be in her line of view. Just as the cafeteria employee left the room, another knock and the door was opened. It was Dr. Wong with Dr. Kryzanski.

"Good morning. We are here to check on our patient" Dr. Wong announced. "How did it go last night?"

"She had one arrest before they administered Heparin and Brevibloc, and then someone came into the room while we were both asleep and cut her ventilation tube, causing an alarm to go off. Needless to say it was an awful night" Sheldon replied.

"Yes we heard about the incident with the tube. I hope the authorities can learn more about who was responsible" Dr. Wong continued. Both doctors were looking over Amy's data on their laptops.

Sheldon decided to eat his breakfast while the doctors were attending to Amy. That made him feel a little less guilty about eating in front of her.

"Her vitals just came in, Kip" Dr. Kryzanski mentioned. "A slight elevation in temperature..." Dr. Wong never finished the sentence. The two doctors worked so closely together they often didn't have to finish their thoughts for the other.

"Dr. Cooper? I am Doctor Kip Wong who was part of your surgical team yesterday. I have with me Doctor Jeff Kryzanski who was your neurosurgeon. We are just going to check on your progress to see when we might be able to get you off of this ventilator" Dr. Wong leaned over Amy to speak to her.

Amy nodded in response, her eyes showing a little concern and fear.

Dr. Wong was over listening to Amy's heart rate and pushed some buttons to move her bed to an upright position so that he could listen to her lungs and heart. While she was upright, Dr. Kryzanski unfastened part of the tape holding the dressing on the wound and began to check the wound from the other side of the bed. "Can you lean forward a little so I can get a good look at this?" he asked Amy while Dr. Wong had the stethoscope on her clavicle area. He then continued with further instructions.

"Can you lift your left arm for me?" Amy lifted her left arm. "Good. Now wiggle your fingers on that hand." Amy did as he asked. "Great…you can let it back down. Now let's try the same thing with your right arm." Amy followed his instructions and lifted her right arm and wiggled her fingers on that arm. "Excellent." Dr. Kryzanski said. Turning to Dr. Wong he asked "Can I lower her down yet? I want to test her legs, but not with her in this upright position. It will put too much stress on the opening at this point."

Dr. Wong nodded his consent and they lowered Amy back down. "Now, Dr. Cooper, can you lift up your left leg slowly and lower it slowly. Just lift it a couple of inches, you don't need to go all the way up."

Amy lifted her leg up about 6 inches and then slowly lowered it as instructed. "Wonderful…that was terrific. Let me give you a couple of moments before we do the same with the right leg. In the meantime, why don't you try to wiggle your toes on your left foot." Amy wiggled her toes and the doctor chuckled saying "there is nothing wrong with your little pinkies; oh and I like the polish. I am surprised the nurses missed that yesterday. Now let's lift up the right leg slowly, just like you did with the other leg."

Amy lifted the right leg, slowly lowered it and wiggled her toes on that leg. "Excellent! Now I realize you have all this tubing on you, but do you think you can take your left hand and try to touch your nose with it?" Amy, after untwisting from the IV tubing, managed to lift up her left hand and touch her nose. "Now, on the right." Amy repeated it on the action with her right hand. "Excellent. You are doing very well, Dr. Cooper. Now just rest." Dr. Kryzanski continued to use a reflex hammer to test a few other areas and noted the results.

The two doctors spoke quietly to each other, but Sheldon with his Vulcan hearing could catch a good part of the conversation.

"Dr. Cooper?" They turned to Sheldon at this point.

"Yes." Sheldon replied, anxious to hear what they had to say.

"We believe that your wife is doing remarkably well so we are going to try and wean her off of the ventilator around 9 AM. Depending on how she progresses through the day, we may consider moving her out of ICU tomorrow into a post-surgical room. Of course her temperature will be monitored along with her breathing and healing. We will be doing regular blood-work on her to insure no signs of infection are setting in as well" Dr. Kryzanski updated.

"What about her heart? Is there any risk for another arrest? Also, with the two arrests she had, one in the operating room and one here, could those do any permanent damage" Sheldon asked.

"With an arrest, there is always a small amount of scarring that will occur. She may likely result in a murmur from the incident, but her heart is strong and beating well. I think the risk is minimal at this point and she will be still hooked up to the monitor and will be watched, even if moved to the other unit" Dr. Wong replied.

"It is my understanding that her natural mother had a heart condition of some sort that took her life when giving birth to Amy" Sheldon thought he should share.

"This is interesting news. Yes, do you know any particulars?" Dr. Wong suddenly grew great interest. "This could alter my decision."

"I honestly don't, but her grandfather is here from Scotland at my house. He should be coming here soon. We can learn more from him, or from her father, Dr. Winston Fowler" Sheldon implied.

"This is Winston's daughter?" Dr. Wong immediately was stunned. "I had no idea. Winston is a colleague of mine. I will speak to him and see what I can learn. You said her grandfather is here? Is that her maternal grandfather?"

"Yes. He was her natural mother's father. I don't know much else about their family situation as Amy and I just learned about the connection in December" Sheldon felt useless. Why didn't he probe more about her family background? He never knew he would have to know about its relevancy until now.

"Thank you for the information. If her grandfather comes in today, have me paged and I will try to speak with him" Dr. Wong said. With that, both doctors took their leave.

Sheldon went over to Amy, "Oh Amy, you might be able to get off of this thing in about an hour and a half. I cannot wait because you will be able to talk to me" Sheldon said. He wanted most to be able to kiss her lips. "I want to call to the house to see how things are going and when everyone will be here" Sheldon informed. He wanted to make sure Angus could come and give Dr. Wong an update on Iona. Amy nodded in understanding so Sheldon pulled out his phone to make the call.

"Wolowitz" Howard answered.

"Howard, do you know when you might be able to bring Angus by the hospital?" Sheldon asked.

"Bernie said they would be by around 8 AM so they should be walking in any moment. She was bringing you mother, grandmother and Angus. I am at my mother's and then I have to get to Cal Tech" Howard replied.

"Okay good. The doctors want to talk to Angus about Amy's natural mother's heart condition before making a decision on whether to take her off of the ventilator" Sheldon informed. "I will call Siebert shortly and let him know that I will be working off campus for a few weeks. I have my whiteboard and laptop and can continue here."

"Okay, sounds good. So Amy is better?" Howard asked.

"Yes, she looks a lot more alert today and her color is better" Sheldon smiled at her as he spoke.

"I am glad to hear that. I have to get going, but I will text Bernie to report in to you as soon as they get there."

"Thanks. I appreciate all you are doing for us, Wolowitz." With that they disconnected.

As if on cue, Bernie knocked on the door and poked her head in when Sheldon told her to enter. "How is the patient today?" Bernie said in her cheerful voice.

"Much better. Is Angus here?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, he is in the waiting room. I told him I would have you come speak with him" Bernie informed.

Sheldon turned to Amy, "I will be right back. I need to speak to your grandfather and he will want to see you. Are you up to seeing him?" Amy nodded and her eyes were bright. "I will be right back. I love you" he said as he bent down and kissed her on the forehead. Turning to Bernie he said, as he walked past her, "Stay with her and keep an eye on her. Someone came in in the middle of the night and cut her tubing" Sheldon whispered.

"What? Who would do such a thing?" Bernie was shocked.

"Obviously the person that tried to shoot her" Sheldon said. "Believe me, we will get to the bottom of this. By the way, I need to thank you for giving the police such an accurate description of the car and for taking care of our family" Sheldon said with sincerity. "I will be right back."

"Hey Ames, oh you look so much better today" Bernadette smiled down at Amy. That was the last Sheldon heard as he head down the hall. He went out to the waiting room and greeted everyone, kissing his mother and Mee-Maw on the cheek.

"I need to speak with Angus for a few minutes and Amy would like to see, you" he said as he looked over at the man. "Before we go in, let me update you on a few things" turning back to the group to speak. "Last evening was a rough evening. First, Amy had another cardiac arrest. She quickly recovered and the doctors put her on some medication to reduce the incidence again. However, around 3 AM, 3:04 AM to be exact, I was woken up by the sound of an alarm and the hustle and bustle of hospital staff working on Amy. Someone had come in while we both were asleep and cut her ventilator tube." He gave everyone a few minute to react.

"Who on earth would do such a thing?" Mary exclaimed. "Shelly, I don't like this at all. What on earth? Someone shoots her and then breaks into her room and tries to cut off her air?"

"Mary, dear, let him finish" Mee-Maw was very upset, but she was always logical in a crisis.

"We don't know who is doing this, but we will get to the bottom of this and they will not succeed" Sheldon replied. Just as he had finished the sentence, Jane and Winston walked up and saw the horror across Mary's face and concern in Mee-Maw and Angus' face.

"I feel like we interrupted something. Did something happen to Amy?" Winston asked wide-eyed, shaking and almost afraid to ask. Jane immediately sat down on the other side of Mary, looking up at Sheldon for answers.

"I was just informing the family that after the second arrest last night, while Amy and I were asleep that in the wee hours of the morning someone came in and cut her ventilator tube, causing the alarm to go off. Unfortunately, the machine was set that it doesn't go immediately off, only after oxygen levels started to lower past 90%. It gave someone time to exit without being seen."

As Jane gasped, Winston immediately became unglued. "Oh dear God, what…who…this is ludicrous!" Winston couldn't even articulate all the thoughts running through his mind. "Who on earth would want to hurt her?"

"We will find out and get to the bottom of this. In the meantime, Dr. Wong wishes to speak with both you and Angus about Iona and her medical condition. They feel it could have an impact on some decisions they make for when to wean her from the ventilator."

Both men nodded consent. "I will ask Dr. Wong to speak with Angus and then you Winston, if that is okay" Sheldon suggested. He felt it would be better for them to be interviewed individually. They may feel less threatened and might reveal more about Iona's condition that way." Again, both nodded their consent. "Angus, come with me and see Amy. I will page Dr. Wong." He said, helping Angus up out of the chair to lead him to Amy's room. He turned back and said "Winston and Jane, I will be back to get you to see her as soon as her visit with Angus is over." They nodded and smiled in appreciation.

Sheldon took Angus into the room and up to Amy. Angus spoke with her and even quietly sang her a Scottish folk song. While Angus was visiting with Amy, Sheldon went to the nurse station and asked that Dr. Wong be paged and explained why. Within seconds, as he walked back to Amy's room, he could hear the page go out. By the time he reached the room, the phone in her room was ringing. Sheldon picked it up.

"Dr. Cooper speaking" Sheldon answered.

"Yes, Dr. Cooper, it is Kip Wong, you had me paged?"

"Yes, Angus, Amy's grandfather, is here with me in the room at the moment and Winston is in the lobby. I felt you should interview them separately and start with Angus."

"I will be right there. I have another surgery scheduled within the hour, but should be able to at least get enough information to assess whether or not to wean Amy" Dr. Wong replied. With that they disconnected the call.

About five minutes passed and Dr. Wong came into the room and met Angus. The two men went out of the room and into a small nursing office nearby so that Dr. Wong could interview Angus.

"Iona had rheumatic fever as a small child and it was a fairly severe case. It left a fair amount of scarring and in those days, medicine was not as good at fighting off streptococcus " Angus started to explain after Dr. Wong questioned him about Iona. "As she grew older, she developed a progressive case of cardiomyopathy. She had what they call symmetric left ventricular hypertrophy. There was no indication her cardiomyopathy was from any genetic disorder or inherited in any way. So her physicians had made the correlation to it being onset from the streptococcus which brought on her rheumatic fever."

"Wow! So how did Winston figure into all of this?" Dr. Wong asked.

"He was doing a special research project to try and slow and reverse heart disorders when he met Iona. She was his patient and then they began to date and married. They had Amy, their honeymoon baby" Angus stated.

"I see. So there has never been an incident of any heart disease known in your family?" Dr. Wong continued to ask.

"No. Most of my side of the family, and even my Margarite's side of the family lived to be in ripe old ages, most over 100 years old. Margarite actually died from a horsing accident, not even from a disease."

"Thank you, Dr. MacGregor. This has been very helpful" Dr. Wong stated. With that, he escorted Angus back to the waiting room and asked to speak to Winston, taking him back to the same room.

Winston basically confirmed that the disease was not inherited or from any genetic knowledge. He didn't elaborate much further and so Dr. Wong made the determination that Amy would be weaned off of the ventilator starting at 10 AM since they had lost some of the time waiting to determine her medical background.

Winston and Jane came in for a few minutes to visit with Amy and then went back to the waiting room.

Sheldon had put on the television so that Amy could watch something while he contemplated his latest challenge, an equation he was working on that would yet again, lead to a possible Nobel Prize. While he was looking over the equation, he began to think about the prizes he won and how they might have to just hold off and do their honeymoon as part of that trip. They would take a whole month off perhaps and go to Scotland, Norway and Sweden. He decided he would think about it later and continued to make adjustments to content on his whiteboard.


	46. Chapter 46: The Lady in Black

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Sheldon called Siebert and explained all that had transpired and the change in his plans. He also received permission to work off campus for as long as he needed. Personally Siebert felt as long as he got the work done, he preferred him off campus. He was less disruptive to others that way. Sheldon then called Alex and arranged for her to come over around 11:30 to go over some things related to work and so he could give her an update on Amy.

After he made calls about his office situation, he felt he should call Amy's Department Head and explain what happened so that she would not be docked for vacation time that she would need later when they finally were able to go on their honeymoon. He called UCLA and got put through to Dr. Wellington, who was head of Neurobiology. Explaining what happened, he was told they would put her on a medical leave of absence and that her vacation time would be maintained for later when she was recovered and would be leaving for her honeymoon. Sheldon thanked the man and then they disconnected the call.

At 10:02 AM, respiratory therapy came in to remove Amy from the ventilator. They would put a cannula in her nose giving her oxygen. It took about 20 minutes for them to go through the process, but 20 minutes later, Amy was lying there without all of the tubing in her mouth. The therapist stayed in the room for another 30 minutes then gave Sheldon her pager number and said she would be on the same unit for the rest of the day should Amy start to show any distress. She went over all of the signs he should watch for and said that the nursing staff would also be keeping an eye on her. After she left, Sheldon went over to the bed.

"Hey, Beautiful!" Sheldon smiled real big to Amy.

"H…H…" Amy cleared her throat "Hey Sheldon. I am so thirsty" was all she could get out. Her voice was gravely from dryness.

"Let me page the nurse and see if you are allowed any liquids yet" Sheldon nodded and pushed the button.

"Amy said her throat was dry and she would like some water" Sheldon said as the nurse entered.

"She is still on NPO orders until 5 PM tonight. Then she can begin on water and liquids" the nurse informed. She walked over to Amy and said "I am sorry dear, but you can't have anything yet. The doctors want to make sure you don't have breathing complications first. One step at a time" she patted Amy's hand.

"OK, thank you" Amy managed to whisper out.

Around 11:30, Alex knocked on the door to Amy's room and Sheldon greeted her. They sat down to go over a few things. While Alex was in the room, Dr. Mark Jensen dropped by. He had been the head surgeon on Amy's team and wanted to check on her status.

"Uncle Mark?" Alex said as she looked up and saw him enter the room.

"Alex, what are you doing here?" he turned and smiled.

"I work for Dr. Cooper and we were going over a few work related things" Alex replied.

"Well, it is a small world. I had no idea that you were working. So how long have you been working for Dr. Cooper?" Mark was shocked.

"For about three months. Dr. Cooper needed someone to help go through his journals and it has sort of grown into a more permanent part time position, which is good while I work on my doctorate."

"So you are out at Cal Tech?"

"Yes. So you were in on Dr. Fowler, excuse me, I mean Dr. Cooper's case?" Alex asked.

"Yes, I was head of the team that performed her surgery" Mark continued. "Excuse me, Alex, but I really need to check on her and get on with making my rounds. It was great to see you again."

"Yes, surprising, but a wonderful surprise." Alex smiled back and then turned to Sheldon to continue their list of to do items he had been going over before the interruption. Sheldon, of course, observed the whole interaction with surprise. He had not associated the fact that both were Jensen last names that they would know each other and be related.

Another interruption occurred before they got very far. Detective Vogel asked to speak to Sheldon. Alex excused herself and left the room and by then Dr. Jensen was done so had left as well. Alex was to wait in the waiting room until Sheldon came to get her.

"Were you able to find anything on the tapes?" Sheldon asked.

"We do know it was a female on the tape. She was dressed in all black, wore a black ski hat with mask. From what we can tell, she was probably taller than average for a female, trim. Beyond that, we can't tell much more from the video. She tried to stay out of camera range, but we did manage to get a few frames of her on film" Vogel explained.

"Could you tell the color of her hair?"

"No, first because it was all black and white, and second, her hair was up in the hat. We could not tell the length or color" Vogel continued.

"What about the tubing, any prints?" Sheldon was hopeful.

"No, the assailant wore gloves, you could see them on the video as well" Vogel replied.

"Any update about the car?" Sheldon probed.

"Not yet, although we are going around and checking local repair shops to see if anyone had that model car serviced in the last year and if anyone noted bumper stickers. It might be a way to lead us to the owner" Vogel elaborated. Sheldon nodded.

"Detective Vogel, what can I be doing to help? I feel useless and I want this person captured. I never know if they are going to show up again and finish what they tried to start" Sheldon expressed his frustration.

"Is your wife awake yet? If so, can I speak with her?" Vogel asked.

"Yes, she has been awake. She fell back asleep around 10:30, but I can wake her up if you wish. Just make sure to not agitate her. She just was taken off ventilator and her cardiopulmonary system is already compromised" Sheldon requested. The Detective nodded and walked over with Sheldon as Sheldon nudged Amy's shoulder.

"Amy?" he nudged her again "Amy?" then realized she was likely waiting for a third "Amy?" Amy lifted her eyes and looked up at Sheldon and smiled. She was about to speak with Sheldon interrupted. "Amy, this is Detective Vogel who has come to ask you some questions. Will you be willing to speak to him for a few moments?"

Amy's eyes grew wide and she finally whispered "Yes, proceed."

"Amy's voice is a bit raspy right now. She can't have any liquids and between the tubing that was down her throat, the anesthetics and medications administered to her, and her lack of being able to intake any liquids yet, she has a hard time speaking so if you could try and give her questions that won't tax her much, I am sure she would appreciate it" Sheldon said protectively.

"Dr. Amy Cooper, I am Detective Vogel assigned to your case. I have interviewed many of your wedding guests as well as your husband, but your statement is important. I hope you understand I would not be bothering you if it wasn't to try and help find your assailant."

Amy nodded "Yes, I understand."

"Can you tell me if you saw anyone that was not supposed to be there at the wedding, any guest or unknown person? Was there any car that didn't belong? Or, was there anything that can help us find your assailant?"

Amy considered this for a few moments. Something she knows that she noted that day, but she could not remember it, but it had to do with who was there. She shook her head and said "I…I…I can't remember. I know there was something that surprised me that day, but I can't remember what."

"Surprised you? What do you mean by surprised you? Can you explain what you mean?" Vogel was very interested in what she might respond.

Amy again thought about it. She closed her eyes to think to try and recall the day. "I….I….I…I just know something wasn't quite expected. Like someone was there that wasn't invited or something, but I don't remember…."

"Good. I don't want to stress you right now. That is okay. When you have more time to think about it, it might come to you. When it does, you can have Dr. Cooper call me with the information"

Detective Vogel said, looking over at Sheldon who was wide-eyed with this information as well.

"I do have another question and if you don't remember right now, that is okay. It will come back to you. But if there was an uninvited guest, was it someone you knew and did they appear to be dressed, as if expecting to be at your wedding?" Vogel pressed.

Amy thought again. She tried to remember the feeling even. "I…I think I knew them, but maybe not well. I don't remember. But yes, I think they fit in, like they were dressed for the wedding. I don't remember who it was." Amy started to look distressed.

"Amy, it's okay. Don't worry. You did really well" Sheldon said. His voice calmed her.

"Dr. Cooper, I only have one more, quick question, if it is okay?" Vogel had to ask it.

"Okay." Amy complied.

"Can you at least remember if the uninvited guest might have been male or female?"

Amy again thought….she shook her head "I want to say female, but I honestly can't say for sure. I don't remember."

"Thank you for all of your help. You did very well. I will be in touch and hopefully over the next few days more memories will come back" Detective Vogel said. "I do hope you recover quickly." Turning to Sheldon he asked if he could speak with him for a few moments outside of the room.

"Amy, close your eyes and get more rest. I will be right back. I need to get Alex from the waiting room" Sheldon said. He planned to bring her back after talking with Vogel.

Just outside of the room, where Sheldon could keep an eye on the door he waited for Vogel to speak.

"Do you happen to know of anyone that seemed like they were uninvited?" Vogel asked.

Sheldon thought about it. Then he remembered something that he only noticed like a flash toward the end of the ceremony.

"I can't say I know anyone uninvited, but I did notice a woman get up and leave right about when the Pastor announced us to the guests. We had just turned to face them when I noticed the arm and skirt and heel of a woman exit the room. I had not noticed her before, and to be honest, I can't say whether she was a guest or not. From the small view of what I did see, she was dressed as if a guest."

"Could you see anything that might be helpful, such as color hair, birthmark, scar, anything distinguishable?"

"No, but I remember feeling uncomfortable. She made me feel uncomfortable" Sheldon finally said.

"Why would you have felt uncomfortable?"

"I don't know. I guess perhaps because of the way she left so quickly. It made me wonder if she wasn't happy for us I guess" Sheldon shrugged.

"Dr. Cooper, I have to ask you some personal questions here and it is only so we can get to the bottom of this case" Vogel pressed.

"Okay" Sheldon didn't have anything to hide.

"Are there any women from past relationships with which you might have had a bad break-up?"

"No, Amy is the first woman I have ever dated. I was never interested in dating. Science has always been my first love before Amy. It was actually the blackmail…by one of my friends who had a dirty sock found on the roof of our building stored in my apartment…that I finally agreed to go and meet the woman that had matched my profile in an online dating site that he had uploaded. That woman was Amy that I was to meet. When I met Amy, there was something about her that interested me for the first time. Her intelligence was the closest to mine I had ever seen in anyone. I felt an immediate connection and attraction to her" Sheldon explained.

"So you never had any other girlfriends before Amy?"

"No. She is the one and only woman for me" Sheldon's love poured out of all his pores that the Detective could see that what he said he truly believed.

"How about co-workers? Are there any co-workers that might be jealous of your wife?"

"No. Not that I am aware of. Some may not like me, but everyone likes her."

"And co-workers that don't like you…are they on your list…the one you sent me?"

"Yes."

"Has anyone ever tried to entice you into a relationship" Vogel asked.

Sheldon again wasn't very good at these kinds of things. "I am not very good with reading people's emotions, Detective Vogel. I am afraid I would be the last person to note that someone was paying attention to me in that way. I would suggest you talk to my friends Leonard and Penny. They know more about those kinds of things."

The detective could see that Sheldon truly was stunted when it came to social and emotional things. "Leonard…is that Dr. Hoftstader and Penny is the woman that lived across the hall from your previous residence?"

"Yes. Leonard works at Cal Tech and you should be able to reach him there today. Penny works at the Cheesecake Factory and attends PCC for a couple of classes, otherwise she can usually be found at her apartment. If you need their cell phone numbers I can provide them" Sheldon offered.

"No, I believe I have their contact information on file already. Thank you, Dr. Cooper. I will be in touch and if your wife or you remember anything further…please call." They shook hands and the detective left as Sheldon texted Alex to come back to the room. He waited outside the door to the room until she approached and the two went in and finished going over project to do items.

Once Alex and Sheldon completed their discussion, Alex whispered "How is she doing? Have you updated Raj?"

"She is doing quite well. No I have not updated him yet" Sheldon felt bad. He had completely forgotten to update Raj.

"He was devastated and a total wreck. He thinks of her like a sister and it has bothered him a great deal. Would you mind if I update him?" Alex asked.

"No, but I would like to update him as well. I want him to know that I do think of him and care about keeping him informed" Sheldon said. He wanted to make sure that Raj knew that he did care.

"I think he would appreciate that" Alex said. "He often gets treated as if no one cares, but he is such a wonderful man. I wish everyone saw in him what I see" Alex said dreamily.

"I think it is good we don't all see what you see in him, Miss Jensen" Sheldon teased. She laughed and with that asked if she could speak with Amy. He nodded consent. She walked over to Amy.

"Dr. Cooper…it is funny calling you that. I almost called you Dr. Fowler…anyway, if there is anything I can do for you, would you let me know?" Alex said looking down at Amy.

"Thank you, Alexandra. Please, just call me Amy" Amy smiled up at her.

"Do you need me to pick up anything for you?" Alex offered.

"No, Sheldon has made sure that everything is well taken care of, but do come and visit me if you can. You can tell me all the gossip" Amy rasped.

"I will do just that. I have to get back to the office, but Raj and I will drop by later this evening, if that is all right with you."

Amy nodded and the two shared a slight embrace with Alex leaning down to embrace her. Alex then left the room.

"Amy, I forgot to update Raj. I am going to call him so he doesn't feel left out" Sheldon said. He then called Raj and updated him. Raj was clearly a wreck and became very distressed when he heard someone had come and cut the tubing.

"Koothrappali, do you remember anyone who was at the wedding that wasn't invited?" Sheldon decided to ask.

Raj gasped "Yes. It was that girl…Oh crap, I can't remember…I do know that there was a girl there and it surprised me because I knew you hadn't invited her and didn't think Amy had either."

"I have no idea to who you are referring" Sheldon was truly puzzled.

"It will come to me, just give me some time" Raj replied.

"Okay, well call me if you think of it. It could be critical to the case" Sheldon pressed.

"I will, dude. Tell Amy that I will be by after work with Alex to see her" Raj changed topics.

"Yes and hopefully by then she can have some liquids" Sheldon enthused.

They both disconnected. Sheldon then texted Bernadette and asked if she could bring his mother and Mee-Maw to the room so they could visit Amy. He thought that he would question Bernie while the two other women kept Amy occupied.

"Well Sugar, you look so much better without all those tubes stickin' out of ya" Mary said as she approached Amy.

"Hello Mama Mary and Mee-Maw. I am so glad to see both of you. I am sorry this isn't a very happy trip for you" Amy apologized.

"Now how could ya say it isn't happy? Good grief, Sugar, you are my daughter officially now. You stood up and married my Shellybean. How could that not be a happy thing?"

"Of course that part was very happy…I just mean this" Amy said, pointing to her IVs and heart monitoring machines.

"Oh well that too will go away and you will be able to go off makin' grandbabies for me" Mary teased.

"Mary, dear…I think that…perhaps she and Moonpie just might want to enjoy each other first. You know? Before worrying about making you grandbabies," Mee-Maw spoke up.

"Well same process, just timing of things" Mary waved her mother's comment away.

While the two women gabbed away at Amy, Sheldon pulled Bernadette aside.

"Bernadette, the detective came by and asked a lot of questions and one of his questions seems to have triggered some interest. I thought I should speak to you about it and see if you might have any further knowledge that will help" Sheldon started.

"Okay, what is it?" Bernie replied.

"Evidently, Amy remembers there being someone at the wedding that wasn't invited, but does not remember who. She believes it to have been a female. Raj also had memory and even believed I or Amy would know this person. Do you know anyone that was there that was not invited?"

Bernadette thought about it. "There was someone there I didn't know and I remember asking one of Amy's colleagues about her. He said that the woman was new to Amy's department and he was rather surprised, given how few people from her group of colleagues were invited to the wedding, that she was there."

"Did he say her name?"

"No, but now that I think about it, I remember she had on a dress that had a black bodice and a floral skirt that was black with white floral designs on it. The floral design was quite large, not small flowers. She also had on black heels."

"Do you remember anything like color of her hair or anything like that?"

"No, she had on sunglasses and a large hat. You know, the kind with a large brim and it appeared her hair was up and covered by the hat" Bernie continued to describe. "She had on black gloves though and sat in back. I think she left early too."

"Yes, I think it was the same person I saw leaving, but didn't see more than part of her skirt and an arm with a glove and a leg with a black heel. She was out of view before I noticed her, but I do remember something about her made me uneasy. Perhaps it was her leaving so quickly" Sheldon shrugged. "Do you think there is any way you can learn who this new person is in her department?"

"I can try and see if I can…but am not sure I will be successful or not" Bernadette offered.

"Good that will be helpful. I am sure the detectives are on it, but anything we can do to get this person behind bars, the better. I need Amy to recover and can't be watching her all time, no matter how hard I try." Sheldon knew he had to be realistic, that even with all the video cameras and staff going in and out of the room, and with him asleep right there in the same room, that he should have been able to feel she was well protected. He no longer felt that way and nothing would make him feel she was protected until the person was caught.


	47. Chapter 47: Iona's Story

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Most of the early afternoon Amy slept and that gave Sheldon some time to work things out. He copied what had been on his whiteboard onto paper so that he could erase and start with a whole new puzzle to try and solve. He made notes of all that had been revealed about the assailant. As he studied the information he felt that he knew something but it just wasn't coming forward. It was frustrating him. Why would he have a memory block at what is probably one of the most important times to remember something in his life?

Winston had to get back to work and see patients, and Jane stayed in the waiting room with Mary, Mee-Maw and Angus. Angus and Mee-Maw had gone to the cafeteria around 1:00 PM and shared lunch and each other's company. They were finding that they enjoyed each other a great deal. Both were very wise people and admired that about each other.

Mary and Jane had lunch in the room with Sheldon and Amy. Amy was allowed to finally have jello and liquids. Even though they originally were going to wait until 5 PM, the nurses allowed her to start early. She downed about three cups of jello because she was so hungry. The nurses would be monitoring her digestive tract to make sure there were no further complications.

Bernie had gone to Cal Tech during lunch to have with Howard. She picked up Missy along the way. Raj enjoyed seeing Missy, but kept a distance between them. He didn't want to anger Alex and was happy in his relationship with her. Missy behaved well. Her mind was too much on Amy and trying to sort out who would do such a thing to her new sister-in-law.

After they had eaten, Bernie and Missy left for the house. Bernie wanted to make some calls from there before returning to the hospital. Missy wanted time to just relax and went out on the back patio to enjoy what little sun was left.

After lunch, Mary and Jane went out to join Angus and Mee-Maw, who had all returned to the waiting room.

Leonard left work around 3:30 PM and picked up Penny. They came to the hospital and dropped by the room. Sheldon was delighted to see Leonard. He thought he might be helpful to solve the mystery.

Penny was chatting with Amy and even got her laughing a little, which while the pain wasn't all that great, it was good for her lungs, so Sheldon allowed it.

"Leonard, can I see you for a moment?" Sheldon signaled asking him to move over to where Sheldon had his whiteboard. Leonard moved and looked at the board. "I have put down everything we know about Amy's assailant. I don't think I can go through another night until I know this person is caught" Sheldon said. "I keep worrying they will come in and I will not wake up like last night and…well…."

"I understand, Buddy and agree that we should make this a top priority. So what can I do to help?" Leonard asked. He was studying the notes on the whiteboard. The car seemed to stick out in his mind for some reason.

"Do you remember a woman who came to the wedding…someone that wasn't invited?" Sheldon asked.

Leonard thought about it. "I have to admit, I was more worried about you that day and wasn't really looking at the guests much" he finally admitted.

"Do you recognize this car description?" Sheldon asked.

"I seem to remember someone driving a car like that, but I can't remember who. I just remember the feeling I got when I look at the car description…it is the same feeling I got from whoever owned it…that they are a bit off their rocker" Leonard admitted.

"Koothrappali said that I would know this person…this uninvited guest. I am guessing this was her car, but I can't be certain. He said it was "that girl" was all. But he couldn't remember more" Sheldon shared with Leonard.

Sheldon's phone went off and he looked. He had a text from Bernadette. It asked for him to call her immediately…that she had news.

"Bernadette just texted me to call her" Sheldon said. "Excuse me, I want to see what she has found out, if anything."

Sheldon placed the call to Bernie and she answered right away. "I have the name of the person that just got hired. But, more interesting than that is this…that same woman quit, just after the wedding, and it appears that personnel didn't do a complete check on her credentials or a background check on her. They hired her without verifying any of her information" Bernadette relayed. "She was a complete phony, Sheldon. Even her name is phony. She called herself….get this….Ona Cooper."

Sheldon went sheet white. Who would go to so much trouble and why? "That is completely preposterous! I cannot believe it. I hope that an internal investigation on how they allowed that to happen is taking place in the University right now?"

"Yes. The recruiter was put on suspension without pay until the investigation is complete and to see if any criminal charges will be placed. By the way, Detective Vogel already has this information. I spoke with him as soon as I hung up with the University."

"Thank you, Bernadette. Well done! Now, we just have to piece together who Ona Cooper is…what her real name is" Sheldon felt encouraged for once. He felt they were close. "Did Ona have an address?"

"Yes, but that was phony as well. However, we have been able to verify that she did drive an older model canary yellow car that did have bumper stickers on it" Bernie squealed, delighted with her undercover revelations. "The campus security office is checking for parking permit information. If she filed for a permit, then we can perhaps track her that way because she would have had to put her license plate number down on the permit registration card."

"Good job, Bernadette! I am very impressed. I knew Howard married a better woman" Sheldon praised. He was ecstatic to learn that they at least connected the uninvited guest with the car. "So will you guys be coming here soon?"

"I will be by with Howie and Missy later, but just wanted you to know what I found out. Give Amy a kiss for me" Bernadette said before disconnecting.

"Well, well, well…." Sheldon said, turning to Leonard. "I need to speak with Amy…give me a minute."

"Amy" Sheldon interrupted the girl talk between Penny and Amy. "Excuse me, but I really need to ask Amy some things. Do you mind grabbing a cup of coffee or something and coming back in about 10 minutes?"

Penny grabbed Leonard on their way out, annoyed, yet understanding that Sheldon may have found a breakthrough that was important so gave him the space.

"Amy, do you remember Ona Cooper?"

Amy nodded "Yes, she was the new woman that joined our team at the lab. What about her?"

"Didn't you think it was strange that she had the last name Cooper?" Sheldon asked.

Amy thought briefly and then her eyes opened wide and she looked at him "You mean she is related to us?"

"No…not important" Sheldon shook his head and then asked "What did she look like? Can you describe her to me?"

Amy gave it some thought. "Do you mean Ona was trying to impersonate being a family member?" then out of the blue she exclaimed, "Oh my gosh…it was her!"

"W..w…what? What was her?" Sheldon thought he might know, but wanted confirmation.

"She…she was the uninvited guest at the wedding" Amy exclaimed. Amy started to get agitated and had problems breathing. Sheldon immediately pressed for the nurse to come.

"What happened?" The nurse asked as she began to look at Amy's vitals.

"She remembered who might be involved in harming her" Sheldon admitted sheepishly. He realized that he may have pushed her too quickly. "I think she might be having a panic attack. I get them all the time and, well…that would be my observation."

The nurse nodded and proceeded to help Amy calm down.

"I am fine" Amy finally said. Her breathing had returned to normal after a few moments. The nurse nodded and waited for a few moments.

"Do you need anything else, Dr. Cooper?" she asked Amy as she started to leave the room.

"No, thank you. I have everything I need here" Amy said, looking at her husband and smiling.

"Are you sure? Maybe we should talk about this later" Sheldon was afraid to push it. Her health was more important. The nurse took her exit.

"No…let me answer you. You asked what she looked like. She was tall, about 5'8'-5'10" tall. She was thin, but not as thin as Alex or Penny. Her hair…well she had changed colors several times. She has had it kind of a strawberry blond and light blond and also light brown. I asked her once why she kept dying her hair and she said that she was doing a social experiment on men and how they react to different hair color. She most recently had it brown, a little darker, more like my color" Amy continued.

"Seriously? Women color their hair for silly reasons like that?" Sheldon was amazed. "Tall you say. Okay. Did she have any other distinguishing features or tattoos, scars, piercings? Did she seem to ask personal questions or anything that made you consider her professionalism?"

"No other visible features that I can say would make her stand out in a crowd other than her height. She was rather bubbly at first, but then could be nasty and bossy to some of the male grad students. They often would complain or roll their eyes at her. She treated them like a slave driver, especially any of them with promise. She also did the same with Cameron. He was my colleague that had been promoted recently to Assistant Chair of the Department. She was determined to work with him and bossed him around a lot, saying she was there to help him get the full Chair position. It was interesting seeing her take a man that was strong and articulate and turn him into a small child of a slave driver." Amy replied.

"Did she get personal with you about anything or treat you that way?"

"She never treated me more than as an equal. Not the same way she was with men. I always felt that she had some sort of problem with men in particular, that she wanted control over them." Amy observed.

Continuing, Amy said "she did seem to wonder who you were and how we met, things like that. And, she often did turn the conversation about you and I" Amy replied after giving it some thought. "It is rather odd now that I think about it. She seemed to be quite fascinated as to whether you had shown any romantic gestures toward me, and how "far" we had gone" using hand quotes. " I told her it was none of her business, but she kept trying to ask questions to get to the answer. When I once mentioned about how you kissed me the first time and how romantic it was, she got really red in the face and looked downright angry." Amy pondered her last comment and turned to Sheldon "Could she have known you? I mean did she have a thing for you?"

Sheldon was totally taken aback. "What…why…that makes no sense…what does that matter about anything and why was she fascinated by me? I never met your new colleague…how would I know her?" He started thinking back to Detective Vogel's questions and realized that maybe the detective was on to something.

"I guess at the time I thought she was just doing social sciences studies of some sort, about men and dating since she kept dying her hair and all. I knew she asked me a lot of questions about you. Do you think you know her?"

"I don't see how. I never met her." Sheldon thought for a long time. "She was tall?" He tried to remember all of the tall women he had met. Most were shorter than him, but a woman that tall would be more like Missy's height so he tried to imagine someone her height. "I haven't worked with many women. Leslie is short and definitely an enemy of mine, but I see her all the time at work. She would never have been able to pull off something like this and be at UCLA during the days."

Amy suddenly cramped up and pain flashed across her face, her breathing became sporadic. Sheldon immediately buzzed the nurse again.

The nurse came in "What can I do for you, Dr. Cooper?"

"It's Amy, she appears like she is having problems breathing and perhaps digestive issues" Sheldon said.

The nurse went over to Amy. The alarm on her monitor started to go off. She asked Sheldon to step outside as she needed to bring in a STAT team to help stabilize Amy. Calling on her internal cell phone she placed the STAT call and a group of hospital personnel came rushing to her room. Sheldon was standing outside and managed to dodge them as they went crashing into the room.

With crash carts, portable defibrillator, and lots of ordering from various individuals, Sheldon was forced to only listen in with his Vulcan hearing. He calmed down when he finally heard the monitor go back to a normal blip sound. He decided to update folks in the waiting area.

"That STAT call you just heard paged was for Amy" he announced.

"We figured that when we heard the room number to respond to" Leonard spoke up.

"She evidently was having a hard time digesting what she ate and it put stress on her breathing. I heard her monitor go back to normal. I need to get back there. I will update you after they have left the room" Sheldon said as he was halfway down the hall again. He stood outside of her room and listened.

About 10 minutes later, many of the individuals who had been in the room had left, as well as the equipment they had brought with them.

Sheldon re-entered the room. "So is she going to be okay?" he asked the nurse.

"She just had problems with the food intake. We are going to make sure she stays on the liquid diet, but also restrict how much she can have per meal. Her breathing became irregular because she panicked when the pain set in. I have given her a medication that will help with her digestive problem and I feel that she should rest. I gave her a mild sedative to calm her so that she can rest.

Sheldon thanked the nurse and she took leave. He sat there and thought about Amy and how precious she was to him. Nothing mattered more than her. He was determined to make sure she had proper time to heal and that he would get to the bottom of whoever did this to her.

Going over all that Amy had said, he tried to piece together anything further. He wasn't making much progress. He really needed for Amy to finish their conversation because he felt she held the key to resolving the matter.

Well there was one thing Sheldon Cooper could do. He decided that while Amy was resting it was time for he and Angus to have a talk about what caused all the family tension in the past. He walked out to the waiting area and asked Angus if he could go with him down to the cafeteria. He turned to his Mee-Maw and asked if she would stay with Amy until he got back. Mee-Maw was thrilled to be able to sit with Amy, even if she was asleep. So she got up and walked down to the room to sit with her.

Angus and Sheldon walked down to the cafeteria and ordered some tea and each picked up a piece of pie as well. Sheldon was happy to see there was pecan pie, his favorite. Angus had not had pecan pie so decided to try it. He liked pecans and thought it sounded intriguing.

"My goodness, this pie is delicious" Angus remarked, looking at it as he was chewing the first bite.

"Well this is not as good as the one my mother makes, but yes, it is my favorite kind of pie" Sheldon remarked.

"So I take it you wanted to talk to me about something in particular, and I somehow doubt it is about pie" Angus said after a few moments passed in silence between them.

"Yes. You have revealed to me in the past that there was bad blood between you and Winston. I know that you and he spoke to Dr. Wong and he seemed to have what he needed to make the decision about weaning Amy from the ventilator, but I still have these nagging feelings that it is important to understand fully what brought on such animosity. I don't mean to be prying and certainly not trying to stir up trouble, but for Amy's sake, I feel I must know….and more important how she must know…I need to know how she will receive it."

Angus looked at Sheldon for a long few moments then looked down at his tea. "Aye, I suppose it is as good of a time as any to talk about this. You and Amy have a right to know."

"Please know that I want to bring about peace and unity for Amy's sake, not make trouble" Sheldon tried to reassure.

"I know that, Lad. It is just painful, you know? My Iona was my only daughter. She was precious and made her mother and me proud. She was accomplished and beautiful. Amy is a lot like her. Both had compassion, deep love for life, never were willing to just settle for answers, but always gathered facts and listened well. They both had no ounce of judgmental sides to them. They always cared more about people than to judge them." Angus was having painful memories of what a great woman his daughter was that he lost.

"When Iona first learned of her heart condition, we took her to Winston's project to see if she would qualify as a patient. She went through all kinds of tests and it was finally determined that she was a good candidate. She immediately was smitten with him. I believe he viewed her more from a professional stance and didn't share the same interest."

Sheldon nodded and let Angus take time to tell the story.

"Winston felt that Iona was a great candidate for his study. He felt that because her condition was well documented and diagnosed he should have no problem slowing and even possibly reversing her condition. He saw her frequently, monitoring her progress. She was making progress actually. She did quite well at first. Her heart enlargement seemed to be going down in size…closer to normal…and even her mumurs were fewer. She really was looking healthy and even more radiant."

"How long had transpired before you saw positive results?" Sheldon asked.

"Oh, I believe it was about 4-5 months that we started seeing her improve. As I mentioned she was smitten with Winston and kept inviting him over to the house and to social events she had been expected to attend. He finally started agreeing to go. He had explained to her about how he had been forced to leave the love of his life back in the States and that he would never love again, yet my Iona is a hard one to resist. Probably as you found with Amy…there is something about them that is special" Angus said with a twinkle in his eye.

"Yes, I remember when I first met Amy in that coffee shop. I couldn't take my eyes off of her. I was embarrassed because she caught me staring at her a couple of times, but there was something about her that I found fascinating. I had never been fascinated by any woman…for that matter most men don't fascinate me either. But Amy fascinated me. That vixen had a way of luring me to her right from the get-go. Her mind attracted me for certain, but it was more than that" Sheldon was looking far off as if thinking about a very fond memory.

"Yes, well Iona had that as well and Winston eventually fell into her spell. They dated for a short while then married very quickly. It wasn't until Iona was very close to giving birth to Amy that I had learned that she had become pregnant and that was the reason for their quick marriage. Winston had never even told Iona that he loved her and I don't know if he ever did. He had compassion for her, that was clear, but love for her? Well that was uncertain. Shortly before they were to wed, Jane came over to Scotland to be assigned to work with Winston. Winston was still very much in love with Jane. She was truly the love of his life. It was written across him every time she walked into the room. Iona he admired, for certain, but he never held the same passion for Iona that he did Jane. But he kept to his word and married Iona. I even told Iona I thought it was a mistake, not realizing at the time she was carrying Amy."

"Yes, I could see how that could have been quite a tangled web" Sheldon admitted. He was glad he and Amy had kept their relationship simple. They loved each other and that was that.

"Winston had patients that were on the medication and others that were on a placebo. The process was that patients that had been on the medication for six months would be then be divided up randomly, by some code number and some would remain on the medication, others would be given a placebo. He wasn't to know which were which, but would study the results and the patients were not to know what they were on either. Iona had agreed to this in the patient agreement, along with every other patient in the program."

Angus took a deep breath. He struggled with choking back tears as he now got to the part of the story that caused him the most pain. "Iona was being monitored more closely by Winston because of her pregnancy. He was concerned about the stress of carrying a child under her condition. Even under the best of situations, pregnancy stresses a woman's body, but with a weakened cardio system as she had, it was a higher risk. He wanted to make sure, especially early in the pregnancy, she could endure to carry the baby full term. He was willing to terminate the pregnancy if there was any risk to Iona."

Sheldon gasped "He could have killed my Amy?" He blinked back tears at the mere thought that anyone could want to kill their own prodigy, much less his precious Amy.

"Yes, if it meant risking Iona's life, he was willing to have Amy aborted."

"Oh Lord, I am so glad he didn't succeed" Sheldon shuddered.

"Yes, as am I, even if it meant risking Iona in the process" Angus said painfully.

Continuing with the story, Angus related, "About five months into the pregnancy, Winston admitted to Iona that he was still in love with Jane and Iona could tell he had distanced himself even further from her. She wanted to move back to our house to let Margarite, who was still alive then, to watch over her, but Winston insisted that she stay under his care. He was working long hours on the project and suggested that Jane come and care for Iona. At first Iona thought he had lost his mind, but she met Jane and actually grew to like her despite being her rival for her husband's affections. Jane felt awkward and kept distance from Winston. She was very attentive and loving to Iona. For that I am thankful. She really does have a good heart…Jane, that is. One thing I will say for Winston, he does seem to be attracted to women with compassionate hearts."

"Iona must have been a very strong woman to have allowed her rival to live in the same house. I could never let another man live in the same house that had interest in Amy" Sheldon admitted.

"Yes, it was indeed strange, but Iona was a woman of grace. She was far more elegant than Amy in some respects…she had a long neck and a grace about her, like a dancer. She was also gracious to people. She always looked for good in them."

"Yes, Amy does that. She looks for good in others" Sheldon admitted. He didn't care about having a graceful body. That was irrelevant to him. He found Amy graceful in his own way…she was beautiful to him.

"Iona grew worse, especially when she was about six months into the pregnancy. Her heart started enlarging at a rapid rate. Winston upped the dosages, hoping to see improvement, but instead her condition just worsened. It wasn't until she was close to term that he realized she had been on a placebo instead of still on the medication. Her number had been in the placebo group. Iona was only focused on birthing Amy. She had everything lined up and ready. She knew she would likely die through the process of delivering Amy and she was okay with that. She just wanted to Amy to live. She had asked Margarite and I to raise Amy and we were more than willing to do so. We were excited about the prospect of bringing her up."

"So…I am not following. Winston raised her, but as he raised her he was never really kind or close to her. Why would he want to keep her if he didn't want to love her?" Sheldon asked.

"Iona managed to survive giving birth to Amy and even got to hold her for a few moments. She handed Amy to Winston who immediately bonded with Amy. He smiled and was proud of her. I honestly thought it was a good thing. Jane was standing in the background and Winston handed Amy to Jane. When he did that, Iona immediately went into cardiac arrest and never could be revived." Angus wiped his eyes at the memory. He took a few moments before continuing.

"Jane loved Amy from the first moment she laid eyes on her. She cleaned her up and weighed her. Amy just would watch her intently, as if studying her. Jane dressed Amy after cleaning her and fed her, rocking her and began to sing to her. Jane immediately was content, as if it were her child. She had almost forgotten that it was Iona's child."

"I am sure that was painful for you, but isn't it good Amy received some love?" Sheldon was confused.

"Aye, I am glad of that, but it was hard to watch. My baby was lying dead on the bed while her own baby was being held by another woman, the woman that happened to have my daughter's husband's heart. It wasn't easy to watch." Angus took a deep breath. "Winston, however, distanced himself from Amy. He blamed Amy for a lot of things. He blamed her for entrapping him to marry Iona, for keeping him from Jane and in a way, I think he even blamed Amy for Jane's infertility. It was silly really, and I think he realizes that now, but it was painful to see him take such anger out on a baby."

"There was a court inquiry and investigation and while there was a lot of suspicion and most people in our village wanted to see Winston brought to justice, he managed to remain clear of charges. Shortly after he was cleared, he and Jane left Scotland, with Amy, and did not return. They married a couple of months after Iona's death and a few months after Jane became legally Amy's mother."

"So did you press charges, is that why there was a court inquiry?" Sheldon was curious if that brought about bad blood.

"No actually. It was my neighbor. He learned about what had happened and felt justice had to be served. Of course I worked with the prosecution as much as possible, and that caused ill feelings between Winston and myself. He felt I had betrayed him. I just wanted answers. Even you have to admit that two lovers and an unwanted wife and pregnancy were a complicated story… enough worthy of investigation."

"Yes, I could see how one could question, especially given her health had improved early on and then went downhill after" Sheldon could definitely understand Angus' position.

"Aye. He had documentation to prove it was the pregnancy and not the placebo that was the reason, but I still could not help but blame him for not ensuring she never became a placebo recipient, especially given her condition" Angus replied. "So the court case, coupled with the way he distanced himself and blamed Amy were reasons that caused tension between us. He had the US courts file restraining orders to keep me from contacting Amy and him until Amy was to wed. He was determined to keep her from marrying as well. He honestly never expected you to come along."

Sheldon was flabbergasted. How could Winston have not thought someone would love Amy. Sheldon worried too many men might find Amy attractive and loveable, yet her own father thought she was incapable of being loved. It astounded him.

Sheldon's phone beeped. He looked at it and it was from Bernadette, who had since arrived at the hospital with Howard and Missy. "_Amy is awake and is asking for you_."

"Amy is awake and asking for me. I would like to continue our conversation later and appreciate your candidness. I am so sorry that Iona was sacrificed in this entire situation. I truly believe that Amy would love to have grown up with her natural mother. I know she appreciates Jane, but I am sure she wanted to know Iona as well." Sheldon reached out and placed his hand on Angus' arm, a rare thing for Sheldon to do. He was learning to have compassion just like Amy.

"I know she would have liked that as well." Angus said, getting up as they began to walk back to the ICU. Sheldon decided he should call the detective and let him know they were close to identifying the woman in question. He placed the call to Detective Vogel, but dispatch said Vogel was on his way to make an arrest and was unavailable at the moment. Sheldon left a message telling him that they are close to figuring out who may have been the assailant and for him to call him as soon as he could.

"


	48. Chapter 48: An Arrest is Made

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Amy was awake and wanting to continue the conversation she was having with Sheldon. She waited for him to come into the room and was pleased to be able to talk to Mee-Maw when she first woke up. Bernie had ducked in too and she had asked her to text Sheldon that she was awake.

Sheldon arrived and Bernie told them both that she would escort Mee-Maw back to the waiting area, thus giving them time to talk.

"How are you feeling" Sheldon said as he bent down and kissed her lips. The conversation with Angus was still fresh on his mind and he could not imagine life without Amy.

"I seem happier than you do right now. What has your noggin in such a quandary" Amy asked. She could sense that something was weighing heavily on Sheldon.

"I think I won't sleep well until we find this kook that is trying to harm you" Sheldon finally responded. He wasn't ready to reveal his conversation with Angus with her. He wanted her far more healthy before they had that conversation.

"Yes, we were going over possible women that you might know. "

"That's right…tall women. As I mentioned, I don't think I have ever had a tall female colleague. Leslie is one of the few female colleagues I have worked with and she is short and not really a likely candidate in this case."

"What about your grad student admirers?" Amy asked. "Did you have any of those that seemed to do more for you or take a special interest in you?"

Sheldon again thought about it. Just as he was about to say something the door opened and Raj yelled out at the exact same time Sheldon said to Amy "Ramona Nowitzki". Sheldon turned to Raj and said "What?"

Raj came into the room all excited and said "it was Ramona that was at the wedding. I thought it was strange because I knew you would never invite her and I didn't think Amy knew her."

"Wait, this is the same girl that pushed you all time and then wanted credit for research you did?" Amy finally put it together. Her intuition had always thought the girl had a thing for Sheldon that was obviously not returned. She had heard tales of Ramona from just about everyone in their group of friends.

"Yes, it was the same girl. Dude, don't you remember? She was kinda crazy" Raj smiled big at being able to help.

"Yes, you are right. She was definitely unbalanced thinking I would share credit with her like that" Sheldon remarked.

"Dude, she was totally into you" Raj continued.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Sheldon turned, totally confused.

"She not only wanted credit, dude, but she wanted in your pants too" Raj crudely stated.

Sheldon's eyes went wide. "That is just plain silly. I would definitely know if she had tried that kind of behavior" Sheldon finally said.

"Umm, Sheldon?" Amy interrupted. "I honestly don't think you would have realized it if a woman had been interested in you romantically. It took me forever for you to notice that I was interested in you and that was with me telling you how I found you sexy just about every time we got together."

"I was just playing hard to get" Sheldon teased back at Amy. "I had a hard time believing a woman as incredible as you would be interested in me, to be honest" Sheldon admitted. "I knew you said those things, but I had a hard time believing them. I wanted to, but just didn't want to be hurt" Sheldon finally confessed.

Amy smiled big at him and signaled for him to bend down. She leaned up slightly and kissed him. He waited for a long time to kiss her since the shooting and could not wait to feel her lips against his. He kissed her back, deepening the kiss.

"Dude, you two have to quit that. There will be more time for that later. We have to get this Ramona…she is crazy and she scares me" Raj interrupted.

Sheldon withdrew from the kiss, knowing Raj was right "You are right. First, I am going to call Vogel and give him the information. Next, I hope he arrests her today."

"Raj is right and I agree with him, I think she felt that you owed her more than credit for a project. I think she was after you for keeps."

Sheldon sighed, resigned to the fact they could be right. "I suppose I could have missed the signs. I had no interest in her as an assistant, much less a romantic partner. I found her a bore and tedious and bossy. She was intelligent, but definitely, as Raj put it, kind of crazy."

"Maybe it's her" Raj offered to comfort.

"Maybe, that would be great if it was. I certainly would sleep easier tonight" Sheldon admitted.

"I just thought of something! Howard may have a picture of Ramona on his phone" Raj revealed.

"Go ask him. He is in the waiting room. If he does, ask him to come back here and show it to Amy. That way we will have a positive identification" Sheldon didn't want to leave Amy alone.

"Okay, I will be right back" Raj ran out the door and off to the waiting room. Within 5 minutes he returned with Howard.

"I do have a picture of her. I took it and forgot it was still on my phone" Howard said.

Howard showed it to Amy and Amy nodded "Yes that is Ona. I recognize her face. It is the same woman." Amy looked up at Sheldon. "I hope this will teach you a lesson to not take on any more of these grad student groupies."

Sheldon's concern that it was over an obsessed grad student of his that Amy was lying there and that they were robbed of their honeymoon…well it was too much for him. "Of course I will no longer allow groupies to help me like that. I have Alex to help already so I don't need others. If she quits, then I will just hire a real assistant who is willing to work for the University, not because of me" Sheldon agreed. "I feel so bad that it is because of me you are laying there" he said, guilt overwhelming him, his shoulders slumped.

"It isn't because of you, Sheldon. You can't predict how crazy some people can be. Often scientists can be a bit off their rockers so it is hard to tell when one has gone totally off the deep end" Amy smiled up at her husband. "Don't feel guilty. I don't blame you and neither will anyone else."

He smiled down at her, but still was upset. He should have known better and if his lack of understanding human emotion was the reason, it troubled him even more. He didn't know how he would fix that problem.

"Sheldon, you have changed since those days. You understand people a lot more and what they are thinking or going through. I think you would know if a woman was trying to grab your attention now…unlike then" Amy said as if reading his thoughts. That seemed to comfort Sheldon.

"You really think I have learned more about such matters?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, I definitely think so. You have grown so much" Amy reassured.

Sheldon smiled, her comforting words meant a lot to hm. His phone rang and it was Vogel. He told Sheldon he had just made an arrest and would be bringing in pictures of several women for Amy to look at to see if she could identify the uninvited guest as the same woman. He was on his way.

About 10 minutes passed and Detective Vogel arrived. Howard and Raj were still in the room talking with Amy and Sheldon. Upon his arrival, Howard and Raj excused themselves and head back to the waiting room.

"Dr. Amy Cooper, I have a few photos that I wish you to study and if you can identify any of the women in these photos, please let me know" Detective Vogel started out. He handed a small stack of about 10 photos. Each woman had two poses, one that was more full-body and the other just of her face. Amy studied them and immediately recognized "Ona".

"This is Ona Cooper, the woman who was hired about a month ago to work in our department at UCLA" Amy pointed. "She changed her hair color many times, claiming she was studying the effects of hair color on ability to entice men."

"Interesting. So before she was hired at UCLA, had you ever met her?" Vogel asked.

"No. But I have since learned, within the last few minutes actually, that she was also a woman that went by the name Ramona Nowitzki at Cal Tech. She was a grad student there that collaborated on some work with Sheldon" Amy continued.

"Yes, she worked with me…more like pushed me to work non-stop at all hours on a project I had been already working on before she entered the picture. She pushed me a lot and I completed it successfully, but she wanted credit event though she did not contribute more than pushing me like a drill sergeant" Sheldon piped up.

"Did she express any romantic interest in you?" Vogel asked.

Sheldon blushed and finally shyly said "Perhaps…although I was not able to read her signals at the time. I guess my friends did more than I did. Howard and Raj, who were just in the room a few minutes ago, were the ones who noticed and just told me once we figured out she might be behind Amy's injuries."

"So you didn't intentionally turn her down when she made advances?" Vogel asked.

"I didn't even know she was making advances…if there were any advances" Sheldon defended. "As I have mentioned to you before, until I met Amy, I never noticed women in any way. Amy was and is the only woman for me and the only one that has managed to capture my attention in any sort of romantic form."

"Detective Vogel, Sheldon has never been very astute when it comes to some social awareness. For example, he does not understand sarcasm, and while he has picked up more since we have been together, he still does not always understand sarcasm or innuendo. He definitely has no awareness of someone coming on to him or trying to seduce him" Amy interrupted. "I know, trust me, it took me forever to finally get him to even hold my hand. He was first attracted to my mind and it took him a long time to see me as more of a full package" she smiled up at her husband. He turned beet red.

The Detective chuckled and shook his head. Somehow he did picture Sheldon as not being very capable of understanding a seductress mindset however, so could see how a woman like Ramona could feel like they were being refused when he didn't even know there was an asking going on.

"Has Miss Nowitzki made any statement or confession?" Sheldon asked trying to change the topic.

"She is currently being questioned. Her car matches the descriptions and we were able to find plates in the trunk that match the numbers one of your witnesses gave us. She also matches the body profile of the woman on the video who came to the hospital" Vogel relayed. "The District Attorney will be in touch with all of you…you two and many of your guests. They will be seeking out witnesses for the trial."

"You think this will go to trial?" Amy asked with wide-eyes.

"Yes, unless she confesses and waives a trial" Vogel replied. "We have a warrant to search her house. We are looking for the weapon and once we find that, we should be able to have the piece of evidence that will bring about a conviction."

"What if she tossed it somewhere?" Sheldon asked, concerned that Ramona may have tried to cover her tracks.

"We already have teams searching dumpsters. Given that most have not had trash pickups since the occurrence, we should be able to find it if she dumped it in one anywhere in a 100 mile radius."

Sheldon seemed satisfied that the police were doing their job for once. He was pleased to see that. He had not had such good luck with them in the past when his apartment had been robbed.

"Dr. Cooper, is there anything else you can remember about Ms. Nowsitzki that could help in this case?" Vogel asked Amy.

"Just that she was at the wedding. I saw her. She was sitting on the left back pew. She was by herself. The reason I noticed her, as the doors opened and while my maid of honor was just about to walk down the aisle, I looked and saw her. She had a black, wide brimmed black hat on, black gloves, a dress with a black bodice or short-sleeved over jacket and a full skit that was black with large white flowers on it. It seemed more like what you would expect someone to wear at the Kentucky Derby than a wedding to me. It was very flamboyant and made a statement, yet she sat in back and alone. I found it a paradox because usually if you dress flamboyantly, you want attention, yet this woman acted like she was trying to keep attention away by where she sat. From my neurobiology mind-set, when someone is behaving like that in such a paradoxical manner, it means they are troubled and mentally having issues, especially identity and control issues. I would say that Ms. Nowitzki's mental issues are deep and have to do with identity and control. She may have been abandoned by one or both parents, adopted, or incurred some traumatic incident as a small child that stripped her of her identity and left her feeling defenseless, which is why she feels the need to control" Amy explained.

"Fascinating. Amy's incredible, isn't she?" Sheldon said looking at her with such love.

Vogel smiled. He could definitely tell they were newlyweds and he for once actually believed that this couple would make it for the long haul. They had something that many couples never have…a deep love and commitment for certain, but also true admiration for each other. "Yes, I think you are a lucky man" was all that Detective wished to admit at this point. "How about you, Dr. Cooper…is there anything you can remember about Ms. Nowitzki that could help?"

"As I said, she was bossy, intimidating…"

"Let me ask this…when you first met her, how did that happen?"

"I had just given a lecture earlier that morning in one of my classes. Grad students usually sit there, bored and tedious at best. These clearly were not interested in being in my class, but had to take it to graduate. She was a student, which I never noticed at the time. While I was having lunch with my friends Leonard, Raj, and Howard, she approached our table and started complimenting my lecture and my work and offered to meet for coffee to discuss my work and how it was having a huge impact on her project. I often get grad students asking to do things for me, so suggested dinner, giving instructions on exactly what to order and how much. I had expected her to bring it for all of us…Leonard, Raj, Howard, Penny, and myself. We usually ate together before Bernadette and Amy were met and joined out group. When she arrived, however, she had only brought enough for two, despite my instructions."

"So she offered to meet for coffee…why was that again?"

"She said she wanted to talk about my work and get my input on a project she was proposing for her thesis" Sheldon replied.

"And what was her demeanor when she asked you to meet for coffee?" Vogel asked.

"Friendly…she complimented my work…pretty much like most of the grad students do that come up to me" Sheldon shrugged.

"Excuse me for interrupting, but may I interject?" Amy piped up. "Sheldon never connected that the only grad students that have ever approached him have all been female. He was totally oblivious of the fact that each and every one of these students likely had more interest than science on their minds."

"Amy, are you sure? They were just friendly and did my tedious tasks for me" Sheldon turned and looked at her…truly confused.

"I am sure, Sheldon. Each of them have been female, you even admitted that to me and to the guys. As for the tasks you ask them to do, many of those are errands that could be considered something a personal assistant would be asked to do, not someone professionally connected. Detective Vogel, I am not saying that my husband purposely led these women on, but as a woman, I can understand why many would be encouraged perhaps to think Sheldon might have had an interest in them by asking them to do things like pick up meals for him, or run a personal errand for him of some sort. He never has understood boundaries like that because to him, they were just people…more like robots to meet his daily needs, and I am talking totally non sexual needs. He never once asked them to do anything that could be considered romantic or sexual …no touching…but he does not understand the woman mindset. He was and still is unaware of how women might perceive any slight gesture as more than it is."

"Women tend to blow things up and imagine any encouragement at all as a sign that there is interest. He didn't get that. Ramona likely was encouraged because he agreed to meet and asked her to pick up his dinner. To Sheldon, it was getting a free meal and a flunky to pick it up for him. To Ramona, it was a chance to have one-on-one time with a handsome man who is brilliant and top of his field. It was innocent from Sheldon's perspective, yet encouraging and inviting from Ramona's. Do you see what I am getting at? Ramona clearly has identity issues and here is a brilliant man who agreed to meet with her. To her this is important. To her, he is validating that she is important enough to waste his time on and to even consider a possible equal enough to share a meal with."

"Sheldon wasn't likely even asking her to stay and have the meal with him. He probably was expecting that she would drop off the food for he and his friends. Therein lies the disconnect. Once she got there, though, she has a side of her that is very intimidating to men."

Sheldon was nodding his head in full agreement to Amy's last statement. "I never expected her to really stay. I wanted the free meal, that was it."

Amy continued, "I have seen her at UCLA take normally very confident men and turn them into little boys being reprimanded by their mother in a moment's notice. She has a commanding presence over men somehow. You might want to interview some of my male counterparts and get their take on her, but it was clear that she had a way of manipulating men into becoming her subservient."

"Sheldon is a harder nut to crack in that realm…although she even was able to manipulate him, according to what he and his friends have told me about her. She cracked the whip, so to speak to get him to produce the work, yet she herself didn't contribute to it other than be bossy. She wanted the glory and credit for it, again this is her identity crisis coming through."

"She wants validating so desperately and hoped to get her name in print, alongside of one of the most world renown theoretical physicists. When Sheldon rejected her suggestion of co-authorship and finally let his testosterone kick in to take command again, that is when she left. I suspect it was because he was able to take the control back, that she became all the more desperate to have him."

"So why do you think that she suddenly re-entered into your lives?" Detective Vogel asked. "Has she been in contact all these years?"

"No, I have not seen or spoken to her since I told her to get out after she wanted to try and steal credit for work she never did" Sheldon replied.

Amy added "I don't think she tried to contact Sheldon, but part of me believes she must have been keeping tabs on his activities and what he had been up to. Recently, Sheldon had been in the press twice because of his recent wins of the Nobel Prize. He is the first recipient to win joint prizes in the same year. He won a Prize in Literature and one in Physics, which will be awarded to him this Spring" Amy boast. Her admiration for her husband was coming through in a large way. "It probably triggered more desperation in Ramona, however. She was more determined to win him over because now his worth was far greater in her eyes. To be associated with the double-Prize win, it would validate her beyond her dreams…that is to a scientist it is huge. She was working on a doctorate in physics so clearly this had importance to her."

Amy took a breath and then continued, "Now that I think about it, I think the reason she came to UCLA was because she learned about our relationship, Sheldon's and mine that is. She wanted to become me, so she worked in my department and dyed her hair the same color as mine. She was hoping to get him interested in her by becoming what she saw he responded to...which was me. By getting rid of me, she could then step in and pretend to be me, hoping that she could take on that identity that he liked." Amy's eyes grew huge…when she realized that the plot...it was so evil and sinister. It was beyond her comprehension how someone could get that messed up.

"Was your wedding announcement in any papers?" Detective Vogel asked.

"Our engagement announcement was put in the papers by my mother" Amy said. "That would have been around mid-December."

"Did it include where the ceremony would take place?" Vogel pressed.

"Maybe not location, but date I think was included. Sheldon, do you remember?" Amy looked up to her husband for his eidetic memory.

"Yes, it included the date, but not the location. However if she spent any time looking in this area, she could easily have found where the ceremony was to take place" Sheldon added.

"Or, she could have asked a colleague once she started working at UCLA" Amy added.

Detective Vogel's phone buzzed. He looked and was pleased at the message. "It seems the weapon has been located and it is in the lab for testing right now for a match. We already retrieved the bullet from Dr. Jensen earlier and so now we just test for a match."

"Was it found in her home?" Sheldon was curious.

"It was found buried in the yard at her residence, but not inside. It still is very incriminating" Vogel assured.

"Well thank you for the positive identification. I will let you get your rest" Vogel gathered up the photos and shook Sheldon's hand, then took his exit.

Sheldon told Amy he would be back in a few moments and went to give updates to everyone out on the waiting room area. He suggested they all go home and get some well needed rest and that he would be turning in early and doing the same. They took turns going in and saying goodnight to Amy and all left.

"It's just us now. I finally can rest easier knowing that kook is arrested" Sheldon admitted as he went over to Amy and began to stroke her hair. The nurses had taken the cap off of her when they removed the ventilator tubing.

"I know. I can't wait to get out of this place" Amy said.

Just as if in cue, a nurse came in. "Well look at you Dr. Cooper, you look so much better this evening" she said. "I thought we might try to see if you could sit up on the side of your bed. If that is not a problem for you, we might even try having you stand."

Sheldon was a bit concerned about her heart, but was pleased that she might be able to move to a regular room and if she does well get home soon.

"I would like that" Amy said. Pushing the button to lift up her bed and help Amy get more in an upright position, the nurse then guided Amy slowly so that she could sit with her feet dangling over the side of the bed. "How is the pain level?"

"About a 4-5" Amy replied.

"Good. Let's give you a couple of moments and then let's see if you can stand" the nurse held on to Amy, making sure she kept steady and while she was sitting up, took a moment to open her dressing and check it. "I think we should change your dressing before you lie back down."

"Okay, no one has changed it yet today" Amy admitted.

"Are you ready to try to see if you can stand?" the nurse asked. Amy nodded and the nurse began to help Amy lift up onto her feet. Amy stood slightly bent over at first and then straightened up more. "How does that feel, what is your pain level?"

"About 5" Amy replied. She stood for about two minutes and then the nurse said "Let's lower you down and let me change that dressing. I don't want you wearing yourself out." The nurse took care of changing the dressing and then helped Amy scoot back to a position that she could lower the bed and help Amy lay back down.

"I will be back in a couple of hours. If you are willing, we will try this again and maybe even see if you can take a couple of steps. If I can get you to walk to the bathroom and back, I can then release you to the regular surgical ward" the nurse smiled as she typed in documentation on Amy. She finally left the room and Sheldon and Amy alone.

Sheldon went over and leaned down to kiss Amy. He could never get enough of her lips. He loved kissing her. After he drew away, he said "You make me so proud. You are amazing. I love you so much."

"I love you too Sheldon, and you too are amazing. I want to be able to stand, walk and get out of this place" Amy teased. "Have you looked at my wound at all?"

Sheldon, being the chicken he is about such matters shyly replied "No. If you want me to look at it, I will tomorrow when they change your dressing if you like."

"Yes, please do. I want to see if there is progress in healing. I want to ravage you and it is impossible knowing I have a big gap in my back right now" she smiled.

"I like your thinking, woman!" Sheldon smiled back.


	49. Chapter 49: Mrs MRSA or a Prize?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_Author's Note: Happy New Year to all of you! May 2013 be a year full of wonder, miracles, joy, peace, love and prosperity to all! Thank you __**Guest**__ and __**Allie**__ for your reviews. _

Around 3:00 AM, Amy's alarm went off again, waking up Sheldon. The nurse came barging in and began checking on her.

"What's wrong?" Sheldon asked as he wiped sleep from his eyes and ran over next to the nurse.

"Her temperature has spiked. It is up to 104" the nurse replied.

Amy began coughing and could not stop. It only managed to agitate her and spike her pulse rate and her blood pressure. The nurse called a STAT and asked Sheldon to wait out in the waiting room. Sheldon put on his robe and looked back at Amy very concerned.

"Can I wait out by the nursing station instead so I am nearby if you have an update?" Sheldon asked, not wanting to leave Amy.

"Fine, but out now!" The nurse ordered. He dodged others trying to get into the room as he was exiting. He stood out by the nursing station, his eyes on the room the entire time. He was pacing a small part of the floor back and forth, hoping they would update him.

About 20 minutes passed and lab personnel had gone into the room and came back out with new samples. Dr. Li was back on duty and finally came out and found Sheldon.

"Dr. Cooper, your wife, we believe and will have the results back soon to confirm, has developed a case of Methicillin-Resistant Staphylococcus Aureus, otherwise known as MRSA. As you know, any sort of infection like this is very serious for a patient who has undergone what your wife has and therefore we are going to have to have her remain in ICU as opposed to moving her to the post-surgical ward. In fact, we are going to ask that you start wearing protective covering in order to remain in the room with her. Our personnel will be required to do the same each time they enter her room" Dr. Li informed.

"How did she get MRSA?" Sheldon's eyes widened.

"It is not uncommon for a patient to encounter it post-surgically" Dr. Li responded.

"Will she be alright? Will she recover?" Sheldon asked, very concerned.

"We are starting her on antibiotics, but the first round usually is not terribly effective. We will put her on a rather potent dosage in order to try and slow the infection rate and hopefully allow her immune system to fight off the rest. Yes, it is very serious." Dr. Li explained.

"Is there anything else that can be done?" Sheldon was not satisfied with her response.

"I think we should table this conversation until I have test results back from the labs and X-rays back" Dr. Li suggested. "I would be drawing straws at this point in the game. We don't know how advanced, if it has colonized in multiple locations in her body, or what the overall status is until we get those results back. We can't even be certain it is MRSA, although I would be surprised if it did not come back with that result" Dr. Li continued.

"When do you expect the results to come in?" Sheldon said. He knew he was not going to get any more sleep out of fear of what could happen.

"I hope to have them back within the next couple of hours. It depends on how backed up they are downstairs. I already have Amy on antibiotic and she seems to be resting more comfortably. Please, before entering her room, let me have one of the staff give you protective gear to wear" Dr. Li said as she flagged down one of the staff. Turning to the staff member, "Please get a protective wear set for Dr. Cooper to change into immediately before he enters the room."

"Thank you Dr. Li. Is there anything I should watch for or be doing to help Amy at this point?" Sheldon asked.

"Just try and rest until we get the results back and can confirm her status" Dr. Li knew what she just said would likely fall on deaf ears.

With that she head on down the hall to another patient. The staff member returned with a package of things for Sheldon to change into and showed him were to make the change. He went and put on the protective clothing, gloves, masks, etc. and head back to the room.

Amy was asleep again, although she seemed to be shivering. Sheldon looked in the cabinet and found an extra blanket and put it over her. About 20 minutes later, she kicked everything off and was trying to get her hospital gown off, which he managed to prevent her from removing. She was going through hot and cold fever spells.

Buzzing the nurse, she came in and Sheldon asked "Can we have some cold cloths or something to try and bring her fever down? She is having fever flashes."

"Let me contact Dr. Li and see if we can give her something to help bring down her fever" the nurse replied. "In the meantime, I will get you a cloth you can apply to her to cool her skin. Just avoid any of the bandaged areas on her back on her side" she said pointing to the location. "Those are most susceptible to be portals for spreading infection."

Sheldon nodded . The nurse came back into the room with a cloth that he put under cold water and began to apply to Amy's forehead, neck and collar bone area. He took it after a couple of applications and put it under water again since it warmed up so fast from the heat radiating from her body and began to apply to her arms, and her knees and lower thighs. He repeated the same action several times and Amy began to relax. Pulling up the covers over her, he waited until the nurse returned.

The nurse returned and administered some other medication to help minimize fever spikes. She then left the room.

Sheldon watched Amy and was about to head back over to the bed and try to sleep, when he heard her start to mumble. He moved closer to see if he could make out what it was she was saying. It was no use. She was babbling not even in a language that was intelligible. Sheldon, oddly, did think it sounded like she was speaking in a language, just not one he knew. But it was not something he could recognize, decipher, or translate. He wondered if it might be Gaelic but wondered how she would have known the ancient language.

Detective Vogel called Sheldon's phone, even though it was now only 4:15 AM.

"Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper" Sheldon answered.

"Dr. Cooper, this is Detective Vogel" Vogel started. "I just wanted you to know that a trial may not be necessary. We were able to get a match on the ballistics report and even a partial print on the magazine that matched Ramona's prints. She has broken down and admitted, even with an attorney present, that she was responsible for the shooting and the incident in the hospital. Her attorney encouraged her to make a plea and admit guilt to avoid the cost of a trial and all of the ugly publicity associated with it, especially given that you are newsworthy and a scientific celebrity. It would bring about a lot of publicity and she didn't want that. Her goal was to try and win you. However, after realizing that was not going to happen, she admitted guilt. Therefore the DA is going to recommend to the judge immediate sentencing since she has waived a trial. Of course immediate is relative in legal terms."

"This is good news. My wife has taken a turn for the worse and now has an infection she is trying to fight that could make her condition quite critical. A trial would just be a distraction to me at this point" Sheldon admitted.

"The judge will not sentence until you wife is fully recovered" Detective Vogel clarified. "The DA would want to make sure that she is fully recovered because it makes a difference what kind of charges to hold against Miss Nowitizki." He didn't want to use the word murder or anything that might scare Sheldon, but definitely if anything happened to Amy, the charges would be quite different as well as the sentence it carried.

"I understand" Sheldon caught on and didn't want to go there. "Thank you for updating me and if there is anything else you need from us, let me know." They disconnected the call.

Sheldon considered trying to get to bed, but knew it was probably fruitless at this point. Instead he went over and inserted one of the games Howard brought him to get his mind off of everything and to try and relax. He kept looking over at Amy off and on as he played the game. She would go off on her mumbling jag alerting him to go check on her. He would touch her skin to see if her temperature seemed to be going down and was pleased to see she was responding to the medication.

Around 5:00 AM, Dr. Li came in and spoke to Sheldon and confirmed that Amy did have MRSA and that it had colonized in both wound locations. As they now knew what they were fighting, new instructions had been given to the staff to apply and she hoped that by later in the day, they would start to see some improvement. She then left to go see other patients.

About 6:00 AM rolled around, with staff coming in to take Amy's vitals. While they were in there, Sheldon slipped into the bathroom with his change of clothes and began to shower. He changed into clothing and found another protective wear packet, which he slipped on. Nearly 20 minutes later he came out and began to look at the menu. Placing an order and some tea, cranberry juice and jello for Amy, he went over to look at her. She was still asleep so he went back to play more of his game while he waited for breakfast.

Amy woke at around 6:30 AM and weakly called out "Sheldon?"

"Right here, Beautiful" he replied as he rushed over to her side. "Good morning, Princess. Are you feeling better?"

"No, my head aches really bad and my back hurts really bad, as well as this side" she said pointing to both portal areas where surgery had been performed. Her side was just a matter of stitching up the area where the bullet entered, but the back was where her spinal surgery had been performed. Both, however left room for infection.

"Amy, you have developed an infection in both locations, which explains why you are experiencing more pain. They put you on antibiotic around 3:00 this morning. We are hoping we might see some sign of improvement by this evening. In the meantime, I wanted you to know that I ordered you some tea, cranberry juice and some jello, so you can have something to eat. It is important to keep your immune system healthy as can be right now so that you can fight off the infection."

"Sheldon, is it MRSA?" Amy suspected already what Sheldon was trying to keep from her.

"Yes, but they were able to diagnose it fairly quickly and have been loading you up with antibiotics" Sheldon tried to show optimism.

"Okay, I just wondered." Amy said. After a couple of moments of silence she said "I saw my mother."

Sheldon looked at her puzzled "Jane? She wasn't here this morning. She probably will be in after 8."

"No, my real mother…I saw her. I talked to her" Amy clarified.

Sheldon didn't even know what to say or think about that. "Oh, and what did you talk about" was the only think he could come up with for the moment.

"She is lovely. She loves me and always has and watches over me. She also said she watches over you because she knows I love you. She is happy for us" Amy started.

"Really? She knows me?" Sheldon was still thinking it must be medications talking to Amy.

"Yes, she knew that you won the Nobel Prizes before you were ever notified. She also said those are not the only ones you will win. She said you will even hear back from the Committee again, probably already have while you have been here. You are going to get another Prize this year from a work you submitted two years ago" Amy continued. "And no, it wasn't the work you did with Ramona, who by the way, Mom said she made sure the police knew where to look for Ramona."

"I'm going to win a third Prize?" Sheldon didn't want to get his hopes up, but that certainly would be one for the history books.

"Yes, even though you won't be the youngest, you will be one of the youngest and you will have two in Physics and one in Literature all in the same year. She asked if I had read her letter. Sheldon, I want the Bible and the two letters in it" Amy said.

"Okay, I can't call quite yet because it is pretty early. But I will call Bernadette at 7:30 and ask her to bring it. Where did you put it so I can tell her where to look for it?" Sheldon asked.

"It is on my nightstand in our bedroom" Amy replied. "Do you know, we are going to have child in about …? "

"I don't want to know…Amy some things are better as surprises" Sheldon stated, even surprising himself. Part of him was curious what Amy believed she heard, but another part thought that everything Amy was talking about was pure medication talking. If he did win a third Prize, he would literally have to question his whole belief system. Was it really hokum…especially if Amy did see her mother?

"So how did you see your mother?" Sheldon decided to probe.

"She came to me in the operating room and again sometime last night" Amy said. "She said she lives in a beautiful mansion and sees your grandfather and her mother all the time. She said your Pop-Pop is happy for you and was sorry you were upset with Santa, which I didn't understand but she said you would."

Sheldon had not told Amy about the time he went on a rant about Santa with the guys. He supposed she must have heard it through the grapevine, but it was still curious.

Both Dr. Wong and Dr. Kryzanski came in then and interrupted. Both had been concerned to learn that Amy had contacted MRSA and began to examine her and look at her vitals and lab results. Dr. Wong was concerned whether it had colonized at all to the pericardial wall or not. He hoped it had not spread that far internally. Dr. Krzyanski was concerned whether the infection would have reached and spread inside the subarachnoid. That could be a critical situation if that were the case. It would mean it could spread up to her brain and other vital organs.

"How will you go about determining the level of penetration" Sheldon asked.

"Through more tests. We will order them immediately." With that they left the room just as breakfast trays came up. They were slipped in through a special slot since Amy was now under a special care order for infection.

"Amy, your breakfast is here, do you feel like you would like it now?" Sheldon asked.

"Ummm…I guess I could try. I am not overly hungry, but it wouldn't hurt to get some more liquids in me" she realized she probably lost a lot through sweat from fever.

Sheldon raised her to an upright position using the bed controls and then placed her tray on the hospital roller table. He moved another table close by so that he could place his tray on it and they enjoyed their breakfast together, even if it was hospital food and Amy's was not much to speak of. Clearing up the mess, Sheldon slipped the tray back out the slot that it came in through so that it could be taken away. He rearranged the furniture back to normal.

Looking up at the clock, Sheldon realized he could then call Bernadette. Placing the call, Bernie answered.

"Hi Sheldon, how's Amy doing? Have they moved her to a regular room yet?" Bernie asked all cheerful.

"Actually...no. She has developed MRSA and it has complicated her recovery" Sheldon replied. "Now, when you visit, you will be required to put on protective wear to enter the room."

"Oh no, I am so sorry to hear that. Is there anything I can do to help?" Bernie was wondering if her company did anything to help with MRSA. She would immediately when she got to the office.

"Yes. Amy received an ancient family Bible for Christmas and inside of it were two envelopes that were to be opened on the day we wed" Sheldon started. "It is sitting on the nightstand in the Master bedroom. Can you bring all of that to her? She would like the Bible and the two letters" Sheldon instructed.

"Sure. Is there anything else I can bring?" Bernie asked, already walking up the stairs to the Master Suite to try and retrieve the Bible. Knocking on the door, she heard Mary say enter so she did. Placing her hand over the phone "Sheldon called and asked that I bring the ancient Bible to Amy. It is supposed to be on the nightstand." Mary handed it to her and said "I am glad she asked for that, although I doubt she will understand it. It is in some old language that none of us speak."

Bernie nodded and waited for Sheldon's reply.

"Can you bring some more clothing as well, mainly my clothing? Ask Howard to pack up some of my things? They should be in the bedroom downstairs still" Sheldon informed. He remembered he had not taken up his things yet and actually was glad he didn't. He didn't like anyone rummaging through their things in the Master Suite. That was their sanctuary.

"Sure. Anything else?"

"No, I think that is all. Is there anything noteworthy in our mail?" Sheldon asked.

"I haven't looked. Do you want me to see if there is anything that does not look like it is standard bills or junk mail?" Bernie asked.

"Yes, please. If so, bring it as well. Will Mom, Missy, Mee-Maw and Angus be coming with you?"

"Missy will probably come with Penny or whenever I can go get her. She is at her apartment. The others will come with me. They are pretty near ready. Once I gather up all that you want, I will be on my way over. I have to then go into the office for a while but will be back around dinner time."

"Okay thank you, Bernadette. You and Howard have been very helpful to us and we will not forget your friendship" Sheldon said as sincerely as Sheldon could ever say something to a friend.

"We love being able to help. See you soon." Bernadette disconnected the call and asked Howard to gather Sheldon's clothing up. She began to sort through mail and did not find anything but what she assumed were some congratulatory cards, which she put in her pile to bring with her. Everything else was pretty much bills and/or junk mail. As she was walking back from the kitchen to the foyer, she noticed the pile of gifts and the marriage certificate on top that had been signed by the Pastor. She decided to take that with her and during her lunch buy a frame for it and bring it later that evening to Amy. She thought it would make Amy feel better.

Everyone from the house arrived about 45 minutes after Sheldon had hung up with Bernadette. Bernie came in, dressed in protective wear and gave Sheldon the book, mail and a duffle bag with clothing. She then took from Sheldon a bag with clothing that needed laundering. Sheldon said "My mother will be doing the laundry for us and you not need to worry about doing it. We have imposed on you and Howard enough."

"It's no trouble, Sheldon, but I can understand you wanting your mother to do your laundry instead of me" Bernadette said. She knew he was very particular and probably didn't want anyone looking at his things other than his mother, him, and Amy.

"Thank you again for dropping by. Amy would like to have you visit with her before you leave" Sheldon said.

"Hi Ames, I hear that some nasty old infection is trying to make trouble, but we won't let it" Bernie said all cheerful.

"Hi Bernadette. I just am so thankful for you. You have been so wonderful to me. I wanted to thank you. I wish I could get well and out of here" Amy said.

"You will, honey. I am going to check to see if our labs do any research on MRSA and if so if there is anything I can have you recommend to the doctors."

"That would be great, thanks" Amy said. "So has it been hard taking care of everyone?"

"No, not at all. You are very lucky to have such lovely in-laws…both of you are. Angus is a delight and your Mee-Maw is amazing. I wish Howie's Mom was like her. To be honest, they are easy compared to what I am used to with Howie's Mom. It is sort of like a vacation for me" Bernie smiled.

"Not much of a vacation, but Sheldon and I are going to make sure you and Howard get a nice vacation after all of this" Amy said. "You start thinking about where you two want to go so we can book you a trip."

"That isn't necessary, Amy" Bernadette said.

"Maybe not, but it is something we want to do" Amy insisted.

"Wow, I will think about it, but not until you are well enough to come home" Bernie replied. "Well Ames, I have to get to work. I want to see what I find out that can help you. I will be by after work this evening and will bring everyone back then." Bernie leaned down and gave Amy as much of a hug as she could, given the protective gear on her and Amy's pain.

"Bernadette, can you tell my mother to give me about 30 minutes with Amy and then that they can all come and visit Amy, but will have to put on protective wear?" Sheldon requested.

"Sure. Bye. I will be back this evening after work" Bernie said and exited.

Sheldon walked over to Amy with the Bible and said "Here is your family Bible. Did you want the envelopes or the book as well?"

"All of it, I guess. I want to look through it again" Amy said. Sheldon handed Amy the Bible with the two envelopes inside. Just as he handed them to her, he his phone went off.

"_I need to bring you a special delivery envelope that arrived today_" came from Alex.

Sheldon typed back "_Okay, why not come on by with it now?_"

"_Okay, is there anything else you need me to_ _bring_?" Alex replied.

"_Yes, copy down what is on my white board. Ask Koothrappali to double check what you write down from copying it and bring what you copied with you_."

"_Will do. How's Amy_?" came from Alex.

"_Not good. I will tell you more when you get here. You will have to wear protective clothing when you come into the room. Ask the staff to get you a packet and change into it_" Sheldon replied.

"_Okay, see you soon. Sorry to hear she isn't doing well. Will learn more from you when I get there_."

Sheldon turned to Amy "Alex is on her way. She is bringing me some things. Would you like to visit with her?"

"Yes, of course, but I might make you pay a toll" Amy teased.

Sheldon leaned down, realizing he had yet to kiss her that day and gave her a kiss.

"Toll paid, I guess you can let her visit" Amy smiled up to him.

Alex arrived about 20 minutes from her last text with the copied white board notes that had been signed as verified by Raj. She handed him the envelope, eyes wide with anticipation.

He studied it and snapped his head up. "Seriously?" Walking over to Amy he said "This time, I want you to open it" handing the envelope to her to open.

"Sheldon are you sure?" Amy asked when she saw the sender.

"Yes because if it is what I am thinking, then I will never doubt again" he said.

Amy carefully opened the outer envelope and slipped out the letterhead envelope that was contained inside. She then carefully opened it and pulled out the letter inside. Reading it quickly she smiled and turned to him and said "my mother was right!" She handed him the letter.

He sat down on the edge of her bed and read it. Sure enough, he had a third Nobel Prize. It even congratulated him on being the very first to win three Prizes in one year. It was for a work he did over two years prior and had submitted. Sheldon stood there for a second then jumped up and swinging his arm yelled "SWEEEEEET!"

"So you won another Prize?" Alex asked.

"Yes, my third Prize and all in one year!" Sheldon boast. Turning to Amy "I want to go tell my Mom and Mee-Maw…be right back" and leaned down and kissed her.

"Yes, they will be thrilled to hear the news. Alexandra and I will catch up while you go share it with them" Amy said smiling at Alex.


	50. Chapter 50: Sheldon's Touching Letter

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Later in the day, Amy's fever spiked again. Dr. Kryzanski came in to look at the stitched portal area on her back where they had gone in and removed the bullet. It was showing signs of the infection increasing.

"I want to restrict her visitors to only yourself and one other person that can be in here when you need to go out of the room. Tell me who it is you wish to designate in that role and you two will be the only persons, other than the staff, that can be allowed until she is out of the woods" Dr. Kryzanski told Sheldon.

Sheldon thought about it. He immediately thought of Penny, but then Penny had to work and her shifts were at all hours. He couldn't ask her to not work because she needed the income. While Bernadette had been extremely helpful and Amy enjoyed her company, she worked during the days and he might need to meet Alex out in the waiting room over work so that wouldn't do. He considered Angus, but felt that while he and Amy knew each other, the bond still needed building. He considered Jane and she could be there, but would Amy approve…not likely. None of his friends would be likely candidates because of work as well. That pretty much left Missy, Mee-Maw and his mother, Mary. He wasn't sure how long they had intended to stay. He knew Missy would probably have to get back and return to work. Mee-Maw could do it, but it would be rather much to ask a woman of her age…and his mother could do it, but she can be a bit intimidating, he thought. He finally went to Amy.

"Amy, if you can only have me and one other person to sit with you in here, who would the second person be?" Sheldon asked.

Amy went through many eliminations as had Sheldon. "I think either your mother or Mee-Maw. I guess Mee-Maw would be my top choice" Amy said. She felt bad asking, but Mee-Maw had a calming presence so the decision was made.

Sheldon turned to Dr. Kryzanski and said "My Mee-Maw." Dr. Kryzanski then checked a few more of Amy's vitals and lab results. Writing up new orders he spoke to the nurse and told Sheldon and Amy he would be back later that evening to check on her.

"Sheldon, I really would like you to see if you can bring me my letters" Amy said after the doctor had left.

At first Sheldon was puzzled. "Your letters?"

"Yes from Christmas" Amy replied.

"Oh right, yes, I will make sure they are dropped by so you can read them" Sheldon replied. He leaned down and kissed Amy softly on the lips and said "I want you to get better so bad, please try." His eyes were welled up with tears. He missed their life and felt like each day was weakening her by being there.

Amy weakly smiled up to him, "Me too. I want to go home. I want us back." She then closed her eyes, exhausted from the infection that was trying to take over her body. She fell into a deep sleep.

Sheldon watched her for a few moments, holding on to her hand. He finally let go and placed a call to Bernadette asking that she bring by the Gaelic Bible with the two encapsulated envelopes when she could.

"Sure, Sheldon. I will be there in about 20 minutes. I was just about to leave when I heard the phone ring and thought it might be you" Bernie replied.

"Thank you. I appreciate it" Sheldon humbly said.

"How is she doing? You sound down, Sheldon" Bernie noticed that his voice reflected concern.

"She is worse. She is sleeping again right now. But the infection has grown" Sheldon was fighting back tears.

"I will be there soon. After that, I am going to check at work about all I can on MRSA" Bernie said with determination.

They exchanged their goodbyes and disconnected. Sheldon went back and sat next to Amy. Not knowing what to do, he lowered his head and began to silently pray.

Bernie got to the hospital about 20 minutes later as she had promised. She quickly learned that she could not go into the room so called Sheldon on his cell.

"Sheldon, it's Bernadette. I have the things you wanted. How can I get them to you?"

"I will be right out. She is sleeping and will be okay for the couple of minutes I will be away" Sheldon finally replied. Sheldon slipped out of the room and removed the protective clothing. He then went out to the waiting room and found Mary, Mee-Maw, Angus, Missy, Jane, Bernadette, and Penny there. He thanked them all for being there and explained that only Mee-Maw and he would be allowed in the room while she fights off this infection. Mee-Maw nodded and stood up.

"I would like to go on back, if it is all right with you, Moonpie. I think you need to get a good breakfast and spend some time with the others. She will be fine with me. I will call you if anything changes" Mee-Maw was determined that Sheldon get out of the room for a while and back to some real life. Sheldon knew better than to cross his Mee-Maw. He nodded and Mee-Maw took off down the hall, taking with her the Bible and two letters. She also took the framed certificate signed by the minister who married them that Bernadette brought.

Sheldon went down to the cafeteria with Missy and Angus. They decided to keep him company and grab a cup of coffee at the same time. Penny caught up to them and joined them as well. The three all talked about the wedding and other things to try and keep Sheldon's mind off of Amy. Angus started a discussion on physics with Sheldon while the girls talked about shopping.

Mee-Maw entered the room with the items and walked over to the side of the bed. Amy looked up and smiled widely, even though she was dripping wet with fever.

"Mee-Maw, I am so glad you are here," she rasped.

"Sugar, I would not be anywhere else. I am so sorry you are so ill. I have been lifting you up to the Lord and I know you will get better" Mee-Maw replied, but her face showed concern.

"I will get better. I have Sheldon and all of you. How could I let this lick me?" Amy replied, determined.

"That's the girl. I love your spirit, dear." Mee-Maw took a cloth that was in a bowl next to the bed and began to wipe down Amy's brow and face. The coolness of the cloth felt good against her hot skin. Amy closed her eyes enjoying the pampering.

Mee-Maw then pointed to the Bible she had set down on the table and said, "I have your Christmas present from your mother here."

"Thank you. Can you pull out the envelope with Sheldon's writing on it? I want to read it" Amy said. She had a feeling that whatever he would say would instantly make her feel better.

Mee-Maw reached in and found two envelopes, but recognized Sheldon's handwriting immediately. She pulled out the envelope from him and offered it to Amy.

"Would you mind reading it out loud for me?"

"Oh dear, it might be rather personal. Are you sure you want me to read it?" Mee-Maw knew Sheldon well and realized it was probably very personal.

"I am sure it is, but to be honest, my eyes are blurry right now. I don't think I would be able to read it. The fever is too intense. So if you would not mind, I am sure Sheldon will understand and not be offended" Amy begged.

Mee-Maw nodded and began reading aloud:

"Today we stand before our family and friends, dressed in formal attire, exchanging vows that will bind us together for all eternity. I know we exchanged vows with each other already, but now we are doing so before those who love us most. I want you to know that as they are our witnesses, I promise you, Amy to be the best husband that I can possibly know how to be. I promise you that, when we have children, to be the best father a man can be. I may not always understand human emotions well, or may not always say things eloquently in a romantic sense, but you are my romance, Amy."

"You are everything I could have ever dreamed of wanting in a mate, wife, and eternal partner. You are beautiful inside and out. Your intelligence, heart and yes, your exterior drew me to you from the day I met you. I felt an immediate connection. I felt that we were meant to be even that day. Otherwise, you know me well enough; I would never have exchanged phone numbers and emails. I would have walked out. But the moment I met you, I couldn't. I found myself drawn to you."

"The more that we texted and emailed, the more I realized how similar you were to me, yet how much more special you are. I never expected to fall in love and marry, but today I not only can say I fell in love and am marrying the woman who could make me dream of her, but I am happier than I ever dreamed possible. My dearest, most beautiful wife, I love you with all of my heart. I just want you to know that you own the key to my heart and it is locked away in you forever. For grins, I thought I would share with you what I had written in my journal the night we met, following our meeting:

_I just had the most fascinating experience and it was even against my will. Now, in hind sight, I have to admit that I am glad I went against my will this time. _

_Raj and Howard were up to their usual hijinks. They had entered my name and profile, well from their perspective of who I am I suppose, into a dating site. It matched with a woman named Amy Farrah Fowler. You know how much I believe that the science behind such sites is pure hokum, a point they used against me. They claim they used that word to describe my feelings about dating sites. _

_After blackmailing me with that filthy sock that was found on the rooftop, claiming they had hid it in the apartment, they made me meet Miss Fowler, or should I say Dr. Fowler; she does hold a Ph.D. _

_Upon initial meeting I explained why I was there, but she stunned me immediately. As soon as she spoke, there was something about her commanding presence and language that immediately caught my attention. I offered to buy her a drink and we sat down. It was within moments that I noticed her practical attire and how she was meticulous in hygiene; her mind was orderly and brilliant. She had a beautiful face and eyes that sparkled, full of mischief, if I were to guess. I decided then and there I liked her look. She was attractive and far more attractive than most women. She had a way about her that reminded me of my Mee-Maw, another woman I dearly love and greatly respect._

_We had a very stimulating conversation that lasted four hours. Yes to my amazement, we talked for a full four hours non-stop. Howard and Raj kept trying to wave me over wanting to leave. They finally left the café for a couple of hours while Dr. Fowler and I continued our conversation. _

_I learned she was a Neurobiologist at UCLA and loved science. She understood physics. She understood it well enough to actually challenge me on a couple of things, but of course, being who I am and with my IQ, I quickly showed her errors in her thinking. However, she wasn't that far off. If she had made it her major study, she would definitely be strong competition for me. But what was even more interesting is that she seemed to understand things beyond her field and beyond science. She liked music and plays the harp, which is one instrument I could do without. But it does not cease to fascinate me that she learned such an unusual instrument. She is very well read and I felt like the hours were mere seconds._

_After having time to reflect since meeting her earlier this evening, I can honestly say, that I truly do believe that the dating site got it right. I have met the woman who is my perfect match. Now I would never admit this to anyone, much less her. As you know, I have no interest in matters of the heart, dating, copulating, or procreating. However, the thought of procreating with such a brilliant and lovely woman as Amy Farrah Fowler is intriguing me. We would be able to truly produce overlords, a new breed of Homo Novus individuals. _

_Here I am, typing in my thoughts and it is 11 PM at night, long after my bedtime. I cannot stop thinking about Amy Farrah Fowler. Do you know I even exchanged phone numbers with her so we could begin to text? I even offered her my email address and Skype. It amazes me that it just came out of me so quickly, without even any hesitation. That vixen put a spell on me, and you know what? I am glad she did. I think my life without Amy Farrah Fowler would be dull. She is like a breath of fresh air. So someday, assuming Dr. Fowler enjoyed the meeting me as much as I did her, I am going to have to thank Raj and Howard for gifting me with the woman of my dreams. Did I just say that? Drats! I have to be honest; Amy Farrah Fowler is the only woman for Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper. If she isn't interested, I will go back to being who I have always been. But somehow, I have a feeling that Amy Farrah Fowler is going to own a part of me that will always be only hers._

_My goodness it is late! Maybe I should text her goodnight and that I enjoyed meeting her. Bazinga! There is no way…wait; my phone just got a text. Fascinating! It is from Amy Farrah Fowler. She sent me a joke. She followed it with that she was glad we met and enjoyed our conversation and wished me well. That vixen! Oh life with her is going to be a challenge. I like challenges!_

"So, my beloved wife, you can see that it was our destiny from the moment we met to be together. I look forward to our journey together and hope that you will never regret your decision to marry me. I will work hard every day to prove to you, you made the right decision."

"You took my stone heart and made it soft and full of love. I don't know how you did it, but you are a vixen, my vixen. I love you with all my heart and thank you for coming into and being my life."

"All my love, Sheldon Lee Cooper, B.S., M.S., M.A., Ph.D., Sc.D. and Nobel Prize winner."

Mee-Maw refolded the letter and held it to her chest. Her eyes were fighting back tears as she had read the most beautiful testimony from her grandson she had ever heard. She never expected him to be so sweet and romantic.

Amy was wiping tears from her eyes as Mee-Maw looked over to her. "You realize my grandson loves you more than I ever thought possible" she said to Amy.

Amy nodded. "I have to get better, Mee-Maw…For him…I have to do it for him. He is my life. That is the best present he could have ever given me" Amy confided.

Mee-Maw patted her hand and said "I know and you will. Trust me, love is mighty powerful and the love you two have for each other is, well it is downright inspiring. I have never met two people more in love that you two, if I don't count my husband and me, that is." She handed Amy the letter, which was now placed inside the envelope. Amy placed it over her heart and held it there while she quietly wept from the beauty of it.

A couple of moments later she turned to Mee-Maw and asked "Mee-Maw? Can you ask Bernadette if she can check at her office about any experimental drugs they may be working on to fight this?"

Mee-Maw's eyes sparkled as she looked down and said "She is already on top of it. That was her whole goal today. She was to try and see if she could find something to fight this thing for you."

Amy nodded and smiled "Good. You have to know Bernie, she is quite a tigress. If anyone will not stop, it will be her."

Bernadette was in her office and going through the company database to see if she could learn what was being developed. She called a colleague who was working on some projects in the area of interest. She learned that they did have something that was currently in testing and had been used successfully in some cases. The side effects were unknown, as no one had yet to have any side effect.

"What would it take to get someone who is currently in ICU at Memorial approved to be part of the experimental testing?" Bernie asked.

After she received the explanation, she began digging. Bernadette was determined to make sure that if she recommended something, it would do the job and it would also not have any damaging effects.

Sheldon returned to the room. "Moonpie, are you feeling better now that you have a good breakfast in you?" Mee-Maw asked.

"Well, I did eat, but picked at my food a bit as well. I can't say it is good breakfast, but it is better than starving I suppose," Sheldon analyzed.

Just then his cell phone rang. He didn't recognize the number, but took the call anyway.

"Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper."

"Sheldon, this is Bernadette."

"Yes, Bernadette. I almost didn't take the call. Are you calling from your office? I didn't recognize the number."

"Yes. I have some good news. We have a drug here that has had some great success that is currently in experimental stage. I have already applied for Amy to be a participant. I should hear something back soon as they know she is currently in ICU" Bernadette enthused.

"Hold on. Tell me more about this drug. I don't want to do anything that could compromise her health any further" Sheldon's defenses were up. He had to protect his wife.

"Trust me, Sheldon, I have researched this thoroughly and would never subject Amy to something that I didn't think was to her benefit" Bernadette reassured.

"Okay, so when should we hear the news?" Sheldon asked.

"I am hoping within the next couple of hours."

"Thank you, Bernadette. Keep me informed. This may be just what she needs" Sheldon finally admitted.

"I will. I will be in touch as soon as I know anything further" Bernadette replied and they disconnected the call.

"That was Bernadette. She has you submitted to receive an experimental drug that she claims has great success with no known side effects" Sheldon leaned down to Amy and said as he pecked her forehead with his lips. "What do you think? I don't want to give you anything unless it will not have any harmful effects" Sheldon continued.

"Sheldon, I trust Bernie. She has probably researched this to death. If the approval comes, I want to take it. I don't want to be here any longer" Amy pleaded.

"We should know within the next couple of hours. I will make sure to let the doctors know" Sheldon nodded his agreement. "Mee-Maw can you stay a couple of more minutes with Amy while I hunt down the doctors to let them know this latest information?"

"Of course, Moonpie. Nothing would delight me more than to be here with my granddaughter. Go do what you need to do to get her well" Mee-Maw replied.

Sheldon left the room to seek the doctors. Mee-Maw picked up the Bible and began to leaf through it. "My this thing is all gobbly gook to me" she said looking at the old Gaelic lettering. "It is rather beautiful to view though. It is almost like art" she continued.

"I know. I don't know Gaelic, but have looked into ways I can learn it. I was planning to try and learn it before the wedding, but we had so much going on that I never really started" Amy looked over at Mee-Maw and the Bible. "I can't help feel that there is something more than history in there."

"What do you mean?" Mee-Maw looked at her in surprise. She couldn't imagine what Amy meant.

"I honestly don't know. That is the weird part about it. It is more of an intuition. Like it holds a secret or something" Amy shrugged.

Mee-Maw pondered the notion for a while. "You may be right, my dear. The Lord's Word contains many secrets, but there may be something that you are to learn from this particular Bible."

Both women sat quietly for a while. Amy started to drift off to sleep. Mee-Maw silently prayed over her. She really wanted Amy well. She had grown to love her and she knew Sheldon would never be the same if anything happened to her. She just trusted that Amy's health would improve.


	51. Chapter 51: A Touching Mother's Letter

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_A/N Preciousadolfo, thank you for your review. Glad you are enjoying the story!  
_

While Mee-Maw sat silently watching over Amy she could not help but tear up thinking about the sweet letter her grandson wrote to Amy. Her heart was stirred by it. It was a side of Sheldon that only she had seen glimpses of and she knew she was the only one who had been given any snap-shot of that man. She adored her grandson and his wife and it pleased her to know how much he adored his wife. She was surprised, however, just how romantic and sweet he really could be. She knew he had a great heart inside of him; one that was sensitive and could easily be crushed. It warmed her to know that he had found a woman that could bring out the strength to open up and say things beyond even her expectation. Yes, she knew Amy was good for her grandson and she was even more determined than ever to have a conversation with her Lord to ensure Amy recovered soon.

As Mee-Maw was fervently praying, Dr. Kryzanski came in. "Oh I am sorry to interrupt" he said quietly when he noticed Mee-Maw appeared to be deep in prayer.

Mee-Maw opened her eyes and smiled, "That is quite all right. I suspected you would be in here shortly. You have an answer I believe" she twinkled.

"I certainly hope so. I have been in touch with a Dr. Wolowitz about an experimental drug. She just informed me that Amy has been approved for trying a new antibiotic, ebselen, which has seen great results in trial. She too is going to be part of the trial, but the good news is that this antibiotic, if effective will show near immediate results. Even by this evening we should start to see improvement. If not, we can take her off of the regimen immediately" Dr. Kryzanski explained.

"Have you had a chance to speak with my grandson and receive his permission?" Mee-Maw inquired. While she was thrilled to learn there may be something that could improve Amy nearly immediately, she still was unsure about the experimental nature. She wanted to be assured Sheldon was part of the decision making.

"Yes, I reached him by his cell number and we met just before my coming here. He has given her permission and should be coming here shortly" the doctor replied.

As if in cue, Sheldon walked through the door, with some papers Alex had dropped by while he had been taking a short break from watching over Amy. "Ah, Dr. Kryzanski, I am glad you are here. Have you administered the antibiotic yet? Will we see results soon?"

"I am just about to have the nurse inject it through her IV, but yes, I am hoping that in about 8 hours, we will start to see a change" he replied. He pressed the call button and a nurse's voice could be heard over the intercom, identifying herself.

"This is Dr. Kryzanski. Is that epselen ready to administer?"

"Yes, Jené should be in any moment with it."

"Let her know that I am waiting in the patient's room" and the doctor then pressed the call button one last time to disengage their conversation. The door opened and Jené, the nurse, came in and began to study the lines leading into Amy's IV portal. She then began to administer the antibiotic.

Dr. Kryzanski was taking vitals and making notations in the chart. Amy stirred at the feel of his cold stethoscope on her chest. "I am sorry to wake you" he said looking down at her.

"Oh, um…it's okay. Is that you Dr. Kryzanski?" Amy was a bit disoriented coming out of a sleep and heavy with fever.

"Yes. I am just checking you over before I return later this evening. We have given you a new antibiotic that is experimental. You have a good friend in Dr. Wolowitz."

"Yes, she is the best" Amy replied weakly. She blinked trying hard to keep her eyes opened, but the fever was intense. She closed them and began to nod off again to sleep.

"Jené, please make sure she is sponged down every hour until her fever breaks."

The nurse went off into the adjacent bathroom and began to prepare for sponging Amy down to help reduce her fever symptoms.

"I can do that for you if you wish" Mee-Maw offered the nurse. "I know you normally do that, but I know my granddaughter is rather modest and probably would feel better if I were to help" she offered.

The nurse nodded her consent and handed everything to Mee-Maw. "Sheldon, why don't you read her your sweet letter while I administer this. It gave her such great comfort."

"You read her letter?" Sheldon asked surprised.

"She asked me to read it. I tried to tell her you would object to that, but she insisted. How could I resist her? She is so fragile" Mee-Maw replied.

"Oh. It's just rather personal" Sheldon fidgeted. It wasn't that he really minded that much, but it was rather embarrassing. He knew Amy would understand, but his family didn't know him the same way.

"Moonpie, don't be embarrassed. It was beautiful and I am so proud of you" Mee-Maw always had a knack of knowing what a person was thinking. It sometimes overwhelmed Sheldon with how much she knew him.

"Thank you, I guess. Did she like it?" Sheldon was curious.

"It meant the world to her, Moonpie. You mean the world to her. She is trying so hard to fight this infection and wants to get well she said just for you. Her love for you is every bit as deep as yours is for her" Mee-Maw reassured.

"Has she read Iona's letter yet?"

"No, she didn't mention it yet. I am sure she is curious about it though" Mee-Maw herself was curious what Iona might have written her daughter.

Mee-Maw began to apply the cold cloth to Amy's forehead first and behind the ears . Amy kept her eyes closed but commented "that feels so good."

"I am going to try and bring down your fever a little, Sugar. I will be going slowly and if you don't want me to put it anywhere personal, just say the word" Mee-Maw instructed.

"Mee-Maw….I lo….oove you…. and have….. noth…..nothing …to hide…. from you. ….You do…. What… you think …..you need…. to do…. to get me well. …..I…. have….. to ….get better….. I need…. to…. be ….with Sheldon. ….. I love..love….ve… 'em….him…. so much. …..I av….have…. to…li…. lick…. this… for him" Amy said slowly and laboriously, eyes still closed. The fever was making it difficult to express thoughts and feelings and her breathing was erratic. She felt incoherent and would drift off between words.

Sheldon's eyes teared up seeing his wife in such bad shape. Mee-Maw put her hand on his arm, nodding to him. "Let her rest while I sponge her. Why don't you go call your friend Bernadette and thank her for getting the antibiotic to Amy" Mee-Maw suggested. She felt it was best if Sheldon left the room. She knew this was hard on him, watching Amy so weak.

"I…I…" Sheldon couldn't finish his sentence. He wanted to stay, afraid if he left it might be too late. He had not seen Amy in such bad shape.

"Moonpie, go. Sometimes when an antibiotic is working, it gets worse before better" Mee-Maw suggested.

Sheldon looked at his grandmother and realized there was going to be no way he would win this argument. He nodded and before he could even say what he stopped to say, she muttered to him "of course I will call you if anything at all should change. Come back in about 30 minutes" Mee-Maw suggested.

"A half-hour? I don't think I could be gone that long" Sheldon whined, wiping tears from his eyes.

"It is going to take me a while to sponge her down and cool her fever. Trust me, Moonpie. Go sit with your mother, Angus and Jane. They need you as well. Your friend Penny is worried sick as well. You need to reassure everyone out there. Take some time for yourself, then, go help the others. It will make you feel better" Mee-Maw ordered. She was not a woman to be reckoned with when she knew she was right about something.

"All right" Sheldon relented and exited the room. He stood outside and leaned against the wall next to the door and let all his emotions come out. He wept and when he realized he might be starting to get noisy, he ducked into the small room next to Amy's where Angus and Winston had been interviewed. He closed the door to the room and sat down and wept, sobbing until he could cry no longer. Wiping his face about 20 minutes later, he realized Mee-Maw was right. He needed to encourage other family members. He gathered himself up and stopped by a restroom on the way to the ICU waiting room. Splashing cold water on his face, he shook himself and studied his appearance. He decided he could go and face others and left the restroom.

"Shelly, we have been sick with worry. You and Mee-Maw have been with Amy for so long. How is she?" Mary and Jane both had lept from their seats running over to him. Mary's words blurt out before anyone else could say anything.

He walked over and very awkwardly hugged his mother and Jane both. "She is weak, but thanks to Bernadette, there is hope. She has found an experimental drug that may help fight the infection in Amy and improve her health, even as early as this evening we might see results" Sheldon tried to put on his best face of encouragement.

He escorted the women back to their chairs and went over to Penny as well. "Is Leonard coming here soon?"

"Yes, I think so" Penny replied.

"Good. I don't like for you to be alone" Sheldon said, surprising Penny. It scared her. He thought he was being encouraging, but instead his words scared her.

"Why? Sheldon, don't clam up on me, what is going on with Amy?" Penny asked, raising her voice to where she alarmed all the others.

"Nothing, she is going to get better" Sheldon grew annoyed. "I just meant that you have been here all day and it has to be boring is all. Amy will recover" Sheldon said more for his benefit than hers.

"You sure do know how to scare a girl" Penny said, relieved.

Sheldon then turned to Angus, "You must be tired, sitting here all day and not even being allowed to see your granddaughter. I am so sorry that they have had to restrict the number of people who can see her, but it is for her safety. "

"Aye, but if it makes her well, it is worth it. I will sit here as long as is needed. I love her dearly. I am tough and yes, while boring and tiring, I will stay. I have asked your friend Howard to bring my laptop so I can try and get some reading and other things accomplished while here. " Angus determined.

"Good, yes computers are handy that way. She does ask about you. You are on her heart" Sheldon reassured.

"That means the world to me, thank you, Son" Angus wiped a tear from his cheek.

"Mee-Maw is giving Amy a sponge bath so she wanted me to come out and just rest with all of you" Sheldon said looking at each one. He tried hard to not show the concern he felt. He smiled, maybe not fully his koala face, but did try to look unconcerned. He knew he wouldn't fool his Mee-Maw, but the others he felt might be easier. Angus was the only one he tried to avoid looking at direct because he felt that Angus was like his Mee-Maw and could read expressions well.

Sheldon sat with the others making small talk and trying to just catch up on everything. He learned of Missy's return back to Texas and other matters when Bernadette walked into the waiting room. He caught her by the corner of his eye. Getting up he walked over and smiled and said "Thank you, Bernadette for helping give Amy a much better chance. I owe you so much" Sheldon said and then awkwardly positioned himself to give Bernie a loose hug. Penny smiled over and remembered how awkward he still was with her and others. She was so used to seeing him with Amy now. With Amy he was relaxed and comfortable, but that didn't stop Penny from remembering that he wasn't the same with the rest of them.

"Enjoy that hug while you can" Penny piped up smiling at Bernie. "He doesn't give them out to just anyone and they are a rare gift, even if awkward as can be."

"Thank you, Sheldon. You owe me nothing. I care about Amy and want her well. I did it for her and me as much as for you. I am just glad there is something I could be doing that is useful, "Bernie replied as she unfolded from the awkward hug. She had to admit that was, well, for lack of a better word one of the most unusual experiences of her life. She didn't even think something could be that awkward, yet it was so Sheldon at the same time. It made her chuckle as she looked over at Penny.

Puzzled, Sheldon looked at her and said "What's so funny?" Bernie turned and looked at him and said "oh nothing. Penny just made a funny face is all." She tried her best to cover.

He turned to Penny confused. "Sheldon, it was nothing. Just girl code, don't sweat it. It wasn't anything to do with Amy."

"Ah, yes, girl code. It will always allude me" Sheldon shook his head. He looked at his watch and realized he had really been away from the room for about 45 minutes. It surprised him that he had lost track of time.

"I will send Mee-Maw back out so she can rest and I will sit with Amy now" he said and abruptly moved back toward the doors leading to the ICU rooms.

Everyone in the waiting area looked at each other and bust out laughing. "Sheldon is never one to waste words" Penny said as she giggled. Somehow he had managed to lift the spirits of everyone that was sitting in the waiting room for the brief moments that either he or Mee-Maw would emerge from Amy's room to update them. They were thankful there was a TV, some books, and some games that were in the waiting area that had been keeping them occupied. Often the visitors would head down to the cafeteria or just walk/pace around the waiting room to try and kill time.

Sheldon entered Amy's room and Mee-Maw looked over to him. Amy was awake and a little better. "Hey Cuddles" she said smiling at him.

"Amy dear, I am going to join the others so you and your husband can enjoy some time alone. I will be back in a while" Mee-Maw patted her and leaned down to kiss her forehead. "You feel much cooler now" she said smiling.

"Thank you Mee-Maw. I love you" Amy replied smiling at her.

"I love you too, Sugar" she said as she looked at Sheldon "and you too, Moonpie." With that she took her exit.

"Oh Amy, it is good to see you more like yourself" Sheldon smiled down at her. "You were so full of fever before."

"I know. I feel a lot better actually. Mee-Maw cleaned me and rubbed me down quite a while. It felt so good to have the cool cloth against me. Sheldon, I want to get better and I think I may be. I feel like whatever the doctor gave me is working" Amy said, for the first time with some hope in her voice since the infection set in. She was far more coherent, alert and bright.

"I concur. I think it is working. You really look like your eyes are brighter and you are much livelier than you were" Sheldon replied after taking note of her countenance. He really started to feel better himself. He was beginning to think she would recover and finally had hope.

"Mee-Maw said you read your Christmas present from me" Sheldon nodded, noticing she still had the envelope clasped in her hand.

"Yes, Sheldon, come here." He moved closer to her. She pulled him down to her and gave him a kiss. As they kissed, it was magical, sweet, and full of passion. They deepened their kiss before pulling apart. "That was the most wonderful present of all."

Sheldon smiled "I agree. Your kisses are the best."

"Yes, your kiss, but your letter too. Both are the best presents any girl could ask for" she smiled back at him. "I miss us, Sheldon. I have to get better so I can hold you."

"I miss us too, and you will. I truly believe you are on the mend." They continued to do what they did best, and that was to share eye-coitus. Lost in each other for the longest time, Amy finally said "I guess I should open my mother, Iona's present next" Amy said.

"All right. Do you want me to read it to you?" Sheldon asked. He too was curious what her mother would have written.

"Yes, if you wouldn't mind."

"If you would rather read it yourself first, I will understand, but I definitely don't mind reading it to you."

"I have nothing to hide and anything she says I would share with you anyway, so please do read it" Amy persuaded.

Opening the letter, Sheldon began to read.

"_My dearest daughter, Amy. I have named you before your birth and I am certain you are a girl. While technology is still weak in many areas, I have not only instinct and faith on my side believing you are a girl, but also I asked a dear friend of mine to run some tests to see if they could determine through blood work your sex. It confirmed what I had already known. " _

Sheldon looked over at Amy. "She got that right, but forgot about the vixen part" he smiled. Continuing he read,

"_I write you this letter delighted to give you life, yet with heavy heart knowing that you will grow up and I will have only seen you but for a few short hours if the Lord is willing to give me even that. You see, my precious child, I am very ill. I don't have much longer to live and I know that the demands that childbirth puts on a woman's body will likely be the last thing I will do before expiring. I know the Lord is going to let me give birth do you and for that I am very grateful. "_

"_I have asked my father, your grandfather, to watch over you and protect you. I have asked him to make sure you are given everything you could ever desire in terms of comforts and education. You come from a long line of brilliant minds and I know that yours will be just as exceptional, if not even more so. It excites me to know that I am leaving the world such a great mind."_

Sheldon looked up from the letter and smiled. "You are a great mind and a great person." Looking back down at the paper he continued,

"_Precious Amy, I am leaving this Bible that holds secrets. If you look in Genesis 48, starting verse 5 and then in Psalm 28, you will unlock a key to who you are and will be. Your great happiness lies there. You will need to have someone translate to King James Version, but nonetheless, it will reveal your greatest love. If you have not found him by the time you read this, you must search for him. Seek out Jewish Rabbinical experts who can help reveal the secret codes."_

"_I cannot think of a greater gift to give you, since I will not be able to raise you, than to reveal to you who will bring you the most happiness you will ever know from another human being. Of course our Lord should bring you the greatest happiness of all, but your hidden secret love will be the one to bring you earthly happiness."_

Sheldon looked up startled by what he just read. Amy looked at him and said "the codes is going to have a key to you, Sheldon." Amy was certain of it. Sheldon nodded skeptically, but Amy interrupted and said "I want you to seek out a top scholar in Bible code, Sheldon. Have them look at those passages. It is going to reveal your name somehow." He nodded "All right if that is what you want. I will ask Angus to help me on this. It will give him something useful to do while he waits in the waiting room." He looked back down to the paper and continued,

"_I ask you to find this love because he is going to need to support you when you grow into a woman and probably learn some family secrets. You will learn that Jane is not your biological mother, but I want to stress to you, my precious child, that while I had wished circumstances to be different, I am at peace knowing that she will be the woman who will become your mother. Embrace her as such, because as you do, you will be embracing me."_

"_You probably think it is strange that I could be pleased to have known the woman that would raise you before I left this planet. But my dear, loveliest daughter, I am relieved to know her actually. While I had always wished to have the love of my husband that he holds for her, I have no doubt that the Lord knew what he was doing when he placed her in my life."_

"_My father is struggling with it and has held a lot of bitterness toward Winston, your father, over circumstances. My dear one, help Daddy through it, please. I know you are going to be a strong woman and a mighty one at that. You are going to be full of grace, often it is a description people have labeled me. I don't know if it is grace or just wisdom to know when you are in a losing battle and that there is a plan greater than your own in place. I just know that you will need to be there for Daddy and help him forgive and to accept what is to be."_

Sheldon looked over at Amy "She certainly is a forgiving woman. How she could not have felt jealousy is beyond me." He then continued reading,

"_My precious baby, know that I love you with all my heart. Know that you were conceived out of love. I have no doubt that Winston loved me in his own way, even if it wasn't as much as the love he has for Jane. But do not pity me or feel bad, because it gives me great joy to know that you are going to be loved and cared for. Winston can well afford anything in life and Jane is very nurturing and caring. She has cared for me these latter months of my pregnancy and I have found myself pleased to know her. I have discovered that she is worthy of love so please love her." _

"Amy, I don't have to read any more if you want me to stop." Sheldon was surprised at her mother's willingness to let another woman raise her. He couldn't imagine letting another man raise a child he had with Amy. His love for both Amy and any of their children was already too great.

"Please continue, Sheldon. I am finding out about my mother through her letter. She is a remarkable woman. I am loving her deeply through her words" Amy said quietly, treasuring what she has heard so far. Sheldon continued reading aloud,

"_Precious one, I have asked Daddy to give you a house he purchased for me in the United States, in the State of California. I have never seen the house but in photos. Daddy described it and it seems lovely. I want you to have the home and make it your home with the love of your life. I pray blessings over you and your love. I pray that he will achieve all the goals he sets forth in life. I know he will truly be extraordinary since you are. He will have a heart of gold and an intelligence that will be unmatched by any one else but you. I am certain of that. Be happy together and I pray you have healthy and brilliant babies in the future. I know it would please me to know that you gave me grandchildren, even if I am not there to hold them."_

"She knew about my high IQ?" Sheldon was stunned. "Amy, it is like she knew it was me!" Amy smiled up at him and said "I know. I told you it was you." Sheldon continued reading,

"_Oh my dear daughter, as the suffering from my medical condition increases, my heart full of love and joy for you surpasses it. I love you so greatly that I can't even express it in words. You are my greatest treasure and joy. I have great pride in you and all you will achieve. Be happy and be gracious to all. You have my heart always, Lovingly, your birth mother, Iona._


	52. Chapter 52: The Jello Factor

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_A/N: Thank you, guest for your lovely review._

Amy and Sheldon sat quiet for a while, absorbing all they had just read or heard. Sheldon finally looked back down and re-read every word again for himself. He looked over at Amy "would you like me to read any part again?"

Amy nodded. "Please, yes. Please read the entire letter again, but this time more slowly. Let me drink in her words."

Sheldon re-read every word, slowly as she had requested. Both let the words wash over and through them. Again, they sat silently pondering each word.

Finally, Amy broke the silence. "Sheldon, please ask Grandfather to do the research while I am still in this semi-quarantine period. Perhaps he can find out what the code reveals. I know in my heart what it is going to reveal, but I think you want the proof."

"I'll send Mee-Maw in briefly while I speak with him" Sheldon said as he leaned down and kissed his wife on the forehead. "Is it all right if I share this with him? He will need to refer to the passages she is speaking of in the letter."

"Yes, I don't think my mother would have minded. It also will help him probably forgive Jane and my Father. I want to be able to speak to both of them when I am feeling better."

"I will be back in a little bit. Mee-Maw will be here while I am away" Sheldon nodded as he head out the door.

In the waiting room, Sheldon asked Mee-Maw if she could go sit with Amy for a few minutes. She immediately got up and head back to the room while Sheldon went and sat next to Angus.

"Angus, Amy finally read Iona's letter. She would like your help on something" Sheldon informed.

"Of course, whatever I can do. What is it you need?" Angus was curious.

"I think you might want to read the letter and it will give an idea of what will be needed. Amy asked me to have you read it. She felt it was important," Sheldon replied, handing the letter to Angus. He watched the elderly man read the letter.

At times Angus would tremble with emotion. Upon finishing the letter, he wiped a few tears from his eyes and took a few minutes to gather himself before he turned to Sheldon again. "I am sorry. Seeing my daughter's penmanship and words stirred a lot of pain. So what is it that you wished for me to do?"

"I am sure it was painful to read the letter. However, your daughter spoke of a secret code hidden in the Bible passages. Amy asked me to have you speak to a scholarly Rabbi who carries knowledge on Bible code. I personally am not keen on the idea, but I cannot refuse her. She said that she is certain it contains a hint about us" Sheldon replied.

"Interesting. I am surprised she would want to pursue it, but yes, I will honor her request. It will give me something to do as I wait for her to heal" Angus replied.

"Yes, that is why I suggested you be in charge of the search. I figured it must be dull sitting here hour after hour. If I am in with Amy and Mee-Maw is out here, you can send her back with anything you learn or have her retrieve me" Sheldon instructed.

After talking a few more minutes with Angus, Sheldon then went over to Jane. "I know this has been hard on you. Amy would like to see you when she is allowed more visitors. She asked to see you and her father."

"Oh Sheldon, that means so much to me. Thank you. Is there any improvement?" Jane anxiously asked.

"As a matter of fact, yes. When I was in with her, she looked much better. I think the antibiotic given her might actually be working. We won't know for a few more hours yet, but something tells me it is working" Sheldon replied. He chatted with his mother and Jane a bit more then went back to the room to relieve Mee-Maw as well as be alone with his wife.

Mee-Maw was taking a cool cloth to Amy again when he entered. "She looks much better, but the doctor had warned me to do this once an hour for the next few hours" she explained as he looked at her rather puzzled.

"Is she showing signs of her fever rising again?" Sheldon was concerned.

"No, no, not at all, Moonpie. She actually is looking a lot better and seems to just be slightly warm, not hot like she was earlier."

"Besides, it feels so soothing when Mee-Maw strokes me with the cloth" Amy interrupted. Sheldon smiled down at her, relieved.

"You can't blame a girl for enjoying the pampering" Amy shrugged. She winced as she did because the movement caused her back a bit of pain.

"Are you all right, dear? You look like you are having some pain. Should I call the nurse to give you some pain medication?" Mee-Maw didn't let anything get past her.

"No, I think the movement just caused a bit of stress on my back is all" Amy replied. She didn't like taking medications if they were not completely necessary. She could endure a fair amount of pain before she would be willing to take any medication.

Sheldon reached down and held her hand. "Is there anything I can get you?" he asked her sweetly. He was glad she was doing better, but he knew she was still a fair distance from recovery.

"Maybe my release forms and take me back home?" Amy said teasingly. "Actually, I wouldn't mind a cup of tea if they have any nearby."

"You've got it, beautiful. Anything for you" Sheldon leaned down and kissed her cheek, squeezing her hand at the same time. "I'll let Mee-Maw continue to pamper you while I go get your tea. Do you want some jello?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes, that would be nice" Amy said. He winked at her and turned to leave. "You've got it" he said as he walked out the door. He had a lighter step this time when he left the room. He felt if she had any appetite at all it was an improvement.

Sheldon had to walk through the waiting area on the way to the cafeteria. Winston was there with Jane. He quickly moved over to catch up with Sheldon. "How is my daughter doing?"

"She is improving enough to want jello. I think that is a good sign" Sheldon replied.

"Yes, that is a good sign. Have they let her have any solids yet?" Winston inquired.

"No, she is still on liquids, but she asked for tea and jello and this is the first she has requested in the last 30 hours" Sheldon replied.

"Then that is significant. Yes, I think she is feeling better. Is her color back?" Winston tried to be a father, but the doctor in him could not help but ask these questions.

"It is coming back. Her eyes are much brighter and she is far more alert" Sheldon replied.

"Good, good. It is hard because I want to obey the rules and I am certain I would be allowed in because I am on staff here, but I don't want to upset her any" Winston finally confided.

"She does want to see you and Jane, but I think it would be best to see her together when she is taken off of quarantine. I must inform you that she did receive a letter from Iona that was written when she was carrying Amy" Sheldon returned the confidence.

"She did? I had no idea that Iona wrote her a letter."

"Yes. She was a remarkable woman from what I read. She carried a great deal of grace and had a very loving and forgiving heart" Sheldon still found it astounding. "I must admit, I am not sure I could have done the same in her shoes, and I am not saying this to carry any judgment. I just know I could not stand the thought of anyone with my Amy" Sheldon explained. "I find Iona remarkable and know where Amy gets a lot of her passion."

"Yes, her heart is definitely like her mother's. She forgives easily as well" Winston admitted. "I could learn a lot from her."

"I have learned a lot from her. She has taught me more about life and how to find joy in it than anyone; in fact I never dreamed anyone could teach me what she has taught me" Sheldon praised.

"I can tell you love my daughter a lot. You don't know how much that means to me" Winston admired Sheldon's honesty and passion for his daughter.

"She is everything to me. I can't imagine taking a single breath without her" Sheldon concurred. "Well I must get down to the cafeteria and bring back her order. I really want to get back to her."

Winston nodded and said "yes, I think it helps her with you there. Thank you for taking such good care of her."

Sheldon went toward the elevators to head down to the cafeteria. It was only a few minutes later when he walked back through the waiting room and head toward Amy's room. He entered and walked over to the bed.

"Oh good, you brought them" Amy smiled enthusiastically. She looked even better this time than when he saw her earlier. "I was hoping you didn't forget and I knew your eidetic memory wouldn't let you forget so assumed you got side tracked by others in the waiting room."

"Yes you would be correct in that assumption, although you know how I feel about assuming things" Sheldon teased. He leaned down and kissed her lightly on the lips then set the tea and jello on her sliding table and slid it toward her so she could reach them. He raised her bed up so that she could sit up with them.

"Mee-Maw, I am so sorry, where are my manners? I should have asked if there was anything I could get you" Sheldon was red-faced. It just dawned on him that he never inquired to his Mee-Maw if there might be something she would want.

"Moonpie, I am just fine."

"Let me get you some tea at least. There is a station down the end of the hall for families of patients that I don't have to go so far" Sheldon offered.

"No, please don't. I think that since you are back, I will go back out and join Mary and Angus. I think we will grab something downstairs for a change of scenery."

With that Mee-Maw left the room. As she opened the door, a nurse was standing on the other side about to open the door. "Oh I am sorry, I was just coming in to check on Dr. Cooper" the nurse apologized for startling Mee-Maw.

"It's quite all right, dear. She has just been given her second sponge bath and is enjoying some tea and jello" Mee-Maw replied as she stepped outside the door.

The nurse came in and immediately smiled at Amy. "You are looking much better and perkier than before" she said as she took began to listen to Amy's heart and lungs. "I am glad to see you have your appetite back."

"Yes, actually this little jello dish is rather small. I might have to send my husband for a second one."

"As wonderful as that sounds to hear you say that, you are still on a rather restricted set of dietary rules. You had problems last time you had multiple jello dishes so you are currently restricted to one within a two-hour period" the nurse retorted.

Sheldon looked at his watch making a mental note to get her more jello in two hours.

Mee-Maw rejoined Mary and the others and suggested that Angus join them down to the cafeteria. All three went down and went through the line. Finding a table they lowered their trays to the table and took their seats.

"My granddaughter read a letter my daughter wrote her before Amy was born. I am sorry if I seem a bit quiet. It really touched me and it was difficult seeing her handwriting. Reading her letter brought back so many memories," Angus relayed.

"I can't even imagine what it must be like" Mary offered. "You don't worry about us, we know when to let somebody be caught up in his thoughts and when to talk."

"Mary is right, Angus. But we are here if you want to share anything or talk about anything" Mee-Maw said, placing her hand on his arm and patting it.

Angus looked down at Mee-Maw's hand on his arm and smiled. He liked the woman, there was no denying it. She was bright, considerate, and lovely. He found her fascinating. She had great stories and could listen well, a skill that seemed to be lacking in most people. "I have been asked to do some research based on a note Iona made in her letter to Amy" Angus shared.

"Is that right? Would you like our help?" Mee-Maw offered.

"Well in this case, I need to find a very scholarly Rabbi who understands Bible codes," Angus continued.

"A Rabbi?" Mary interrupted. "Why ask a Jew? Why not a Pastor?"

"Mary, dear, he said the person must be an expert in Bible code. Not many Pastors are educated on the codes. There are Chassidic and Kabala Jews who have studied these codes for years," Mee-Maw interjected. "Angus, I believe there are many Jewish Synagogues in this area. Surely one of their houses will be from that sect" Mee-Maw suggested. "Perhaps searching there first, you might find a local resource that can help bring you the answers you seek."

"That is an excellent suggestion" Angus smiled at Mee-Maw, clasping his hands together in a small clap. "I believe you have saved me some time by giving me such a great start."

The trio continued their conversation for another hour and then returned to the waiting room. Angus immediately began searching for local resources.

Several hours later, it was nearing 6 PM when Dr. Kryzanski came in the room. Amy had been poked and prodded all afternoon by the nurses and hospital staff. Blood had been drawn at least twice and she had been being monitored for temperature regularly as well as all her other vitals. Sheldon had given her two more jello cups since.

"Hello Dr. Cooper" Dr. Kryzanski greeted. He smiled as he saw how much better she appeared. He looked into her chart and studied the test results. "It appears the antibiotic is working well. Your temperature is back to normal and your vitals are showing increased activity in your organs which were starting to shut down earlier. You are definitely on the mend, young lady."

"How much longer will you be giving her the antibiotic?" Sheldon asked.

"She will be given the antibiotic for her entire stay here and probably for a good solid month after she returns home" he replied. "She will need to make sure it is completely knocked out of her system and that it does not leave any traces behind" Dr. Kryzanski continued saying, as he asked Amy to lean forward so he could check the dressing on her back. He studied the wound and changed the dressing. After it was securely in place he helped her lean back. "You are healing up again. It appears that the MRSA is being reversed. The wound is starting to look healthy again. I will be back in the morning and check it again. If you continue at this rate, we might be able to move you to a regular room late tomorrow."

"Can she go back to more visitors?" Sheldon asked. He really hated constantly changing into the protective garments and knew it was a burden on Mee-Maw as well. Plus he felt bad for everyone sitting there not being able to see Amy.

"Yes, I think we can let her have regular visitors tomorrow. I would like to keep her restricted tonight. After I check in with you in the morning, we can probably release her back to normal visiting family and close friends. I will determine whether we want to require them to wear protective garments then" Dr. Kryzanski remained cautious but it gave Sheldon optimism.

Sheldon had noticed earlier in the day that a documentary was going to be on that evening that he knew Amy would enjoy. He turned it on and moved over next to her, keeping her bed raised so that he could put an arm around her and they could watch it together. It was the most intimate they had been able to be since she had been shot. Once the show was over, they found themselves making out. Out of instinct, Sheldon began to move his hand toward her breasts when he felt the bandage and realized that she still had a wound that needed to heal. His hand retreated.

"Why did you stop?" Amy asked.

"You have a wound that still needs healing. I don't want to jeopardize anything that will prevent you from healing and being released from this place" Sheldon replied. He leaned in and kissed her again. "Besides, it is time to tuck you in. I have some paperwork to go over that I promised Alex I would pay attention to today and haven't looked at once. Then I must get sleep because tomorrow we may be seeing a lot of visitors traipsing through this room, which I personally will find exhausting" Sheldon teased.

He lowered the bed and tucked Amy in, stroking her cheek. "I am so glad you are feeling better. I can't wait to bring you home."

"I can't wait to go home either. I am worried that with all this time off from work, they won't let me go on our honeymoon" Amy started to fret.

"Amy, anywhere I am with you is a honeymoon to me. I will take you where I had planned when you are finally healed and can travel. We will enjoy what we had planned. I will make sure of it" Sheldon determined.

Amy smiled. "That's the man I married. Nothing will get in his way once he decides something."

"I love you, Amy. You just don't even know how much. I can't wait to show you" Sheldon replied. He leaned down to kiss her again and then adjusted her covers and head back to his cot. He pulled out the papers that Alex had brought and stared at them. The pages were blurry to him because of the tears he held back that he didn't want Amy to see. The emotions he felt for her were overpowering and overwhelming.

A little while later, he looked over and Amy was fast asleep. He got through the work he had promised he would accomplish and then went into the adjacent bathroom, changed his clothes, brushed his teeth and went to bed.

Amy had been moved to a normal room and her recovery became rapid once the antibiotic had been given her. She was still on them a week later when she was released from the hospital. She had been instructed that she couldn't engage in intercourse for at least four weeks and had to remain on the antibiotics for another week, but she could not be happier. She was going home, to her home, with her husband.

"Ames, I brought this over to have you change into" Penny said as she held up a small bag that contained some clothes for Amy to change into. "I thought you might be tired of feeling like you were in bed all the time" Penny laughed. "Do you need any help?"

"No, Sheldon can help me if I need any. She stepped into the bathroom and Sheldon followed. He helped her remove her hospital gown and attempted to help her put on a bra. The wound under her right side of her breast was doing quite well, but it was not the issue. It was more the wound on her back. It was directly where the bra-line would be and the rubbing of the fabric against the bandaging was not optimal.

"Perhaps we should just have you put on a blouse without a bra" Sheldon finally suggested after trying to help her, each time making her wince.

"I agree. " Amy conceded. "Perhaps in a few days it will be less painful."

Sheldon slipped her blouse over her arms and up onto her shoulders. She then began to pull it together to button it.

Amy held on to Sheldon as she stepped into the skirt before he slipped it up her legs. She still was a bit unsteady when having to raise her feet. He carefully maneuvered the skirt over her hips, careful to not disturb the wound on her back. He managed to be thankful that the skirt didn't seem to interact much with the bandaging on her back. He carefully placed it around her waist, tucking in her blouse at the same time.

Slipping her cardigan over her arms, he brought it up over her shoulders and again she buttoned it up, a bit higher than normal since she didn't have a bra underneath. She wanted to hide that fact from everyone else but Sheldon. Sheldon pulled her collar out so that it didn't look messy. He then had her sit on the toilet seat cover while he placed knee-high socks on her and shoes.

"Knee-hi's?" Amy asked.

"I figured they wouldn't bother your back, and yet would still make you feel like your legs were covered" Sheldon shrugged.

"Oh, okay. You think of everything, don't you?" Amy smiled. When she stood up with her shoes and knee-hi's on, she pulled him close to her and wrapped her arms around his neck, pulling him down to a kiss. He responded by bringing her in closer, but by the shoulders, afraid to touch her back. He then placed his hands at the top of her buttocks so that he could bring her closer. When he drew away he looked at her "I didn't hurt you did I?" he asked with concern.

"No, on the contrary it felt wonderful to have you next to me like that" Amy said, eyes twinkling.

They left the bathroom and found the room had several of their family and friends waiting for them. "Got the paperwork?" Penny asked.

Sheldon pulled it from the cot he had been sleeping on while at the hospital and said, "Right here. We need to stop by the pharmacy downstairs to pick up her prescriptions before we leave." He picked up his bags and satchel, as well as anything of Amy's that had been gathered into a bag.

About an hour later, they finally pulled into their driveway with many cars parked up and down their street; neither seemed to notice, however, because they only had eyes for each other. Sheldon was thrilled his wife was finally coming home. He had a surprise for her. He had arranged for, both with her department head and with the airlines, he and Amy to take their long awaited honeymoon in eight weeks. He wanted to make sure she had plenty of time to heal.

As he opened the door, family and friends who had been waiting yelled "Surprise!" and there were banners welcoming Amy home. Even Sheldon was startled and found it amazing. He had no idea that they had managed to pull together a welcoming home party for her. Missy could not be there in person, but was up on Skype. Everyone had a great time of fellowship, even Missy via Skype.

Nobody stayed real long because everyone realized Amy would need rest and that she and Sheldon needed time to just enjoy her being out of the hospital. After the door closed, the only people left in the house were Mary, Mee-Maw and Angus besides Sheldon and Amy. Angus would be moving to a hotel and not leaving for three more days. Mary and Mee-Maw planned to fly back the next day.

"Moonpie, we will be flying back tomorrow unless you need me to stay" Mee-Maw offered.

"Mee-Maw you have been a godsend through all of this. I am so thankful for all you have done for me and you are always welcome in our home, but I think we will be fine" Amy replied. "I have asked far too much of all of you as it is. I don't know how I am going to repay everyone for their attentiveness, prayers, and company through this ordeal."

"Oh Sugar, there is nothing to thank. We love you and you do that for people you love" Mary said.

"She is right, dear. It was our pleasure to be able to be useful and we would have done anything to see you get better" Mee-Maw said, her eyes twinkling.

"Thank you. I really mean that from the bottom of my heart. All of you, waiting there hour after hour. It meant so much to know you were there, even when you were not allowed to visit" Amy knew it was all she could offer at this point in time but was determined she was going to send them something when she could.

"I just hope that nutty woman that shot you is receiving proper judgment" Mary said, furious that her son and daughter-in-law were stopped short of their honeymoon because of that woman.


	53. Chapter 53: Elderly Flirtations

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Sheldon had not even thought about Ramona once since he had heard she had been arrested. "I will be following up on her, trust me" he assured his mother and Amy.

"That's my boy" Mary smiled as she pulled his cheek next to hers.

"Mother, please refrain from that nonsense" he said. As much as Sheldon had changed for Amy and loved her touch, he still wasn't that happy when his mother acted affectionate at unexpected times. This was one of those times.

"Oh pish posh, I am your mother and can give you a little hug and don't you forget it" Mary retorted.

Angus had been off in the living room looking through his computer when he suddenly exclaimed "I heard back with the answer!"

All heads turned to him. "Angus?" Sheldon asked puzzled.

"The Rabbi sent a response. You will be happy to know that the names Sheldon and Amy were in the Genesis verse and the name Amy Cooper was found in the Psalm.

"I told you, Cuddles, it would confirm what I already knew" Amy said, her eyes twinkling.

Sheldon looked down at her and smiled "Yes you did. I knew it as well though and if it had said anything else, I would have called it hokum anyway." Turning to Angus, he walked over and wanted to read more. The scientific side wanted to see what facts the Rabbi based the information. Once satisfied, he shrugged, "well it appears rather well researched. The Rabbi was very scientific in his explanation and approach on decoding the information."

"Of course, you deny it all you want, Shelly, but I have told you our Lord knows all" Mary piped up. She was thrilled to see that even in the Bible there was evidence the Lord knew they were a perfect match.

"It is remarkable, Moonpie. I don't profess to know much about this code business, but I do know that our Lord gave you the most wonderful woman and she was given the most wonderful man. You two are exactly as He wanted… wedded and united as one," Mee-Maw threw in her two cents.

"I think, as much as I would like to celebrate this little victory, that I need to lie down" Amy interrupted. She was starting to sway and caught the banister to the stairs to steady herself. Sheldon immediately ran to her and offered his support.

"Mother, Mee-Maw, and Angus, we will be back down around 6 PM and would like to take all three of you to the Cheesecake Factory for dinner and desert. In the meantime, I would like to help Amy get some rest and could use some myself" Sheldon said. It was only around 1:00 PM at the time since Amy had been released at 10 in the morning. The others had left the house after about an hour after her return home. "Would you object to this plan?"

"Of course not, Moonpie. We all could probably use some rest as well. I know I could," Mee-Maw agreed.

"Yes, I think even I could, Shelly. I am rather exhausted. I will just trot down to the basement and rest down there" Mary suggested.

Angus agreed that he too would like to rest and that they could meet at 6 for dinner. All three knew that the couple needed some time to themselves, something they had not been able to have much of since the wedding and shooting.

Sheldon escorted Amy up the stairs and once they walked through their doors, they shut them. He pulled Amy into a kiss. Drawing away, he said "let me help you change into something that will be easy for you to rest in and I say we crawl in bed and cuddle. Would you like a fire?"

Amy smiled at him and reached up to touch his cheek, "you are so good to me. Actually, I think I would rather wait and have a fire this evening, even though it is dreary out today. Right now, I agree with your plan; change, and then bed and cuddling."

Sheldon found a baby soft flannel pajama set of Amy's and helped her change out of the clothing she wore home from the hospital into the pajamas. He stripped and put on a pair of his pajamas as well. Then going over to the bed, he pulled down the covers, thankful to Bernadette for having changed their linens before they arrived. He then helped Amy into the bed and lay to a comfortable position. Running over to the other side he crawled in and scoot close to her. He inched closer to her slowly to not rock the bed much and cause her any discomfort. When he was very close, he finally put his arm out and let her lay her head on his arm. He placed his other arm over her torso and tucked his hand under her hip.

"It feels so good to have you next to me again" Amy sighed. She yawned and then looked up and smiled at him. "Sorry, I guess I still get sleepy from all of this."

"Don't be sorry. I know you need your sleep and to be honest, I could use some myself. It is impossible to sleep well in a hospital, even when you are not the patient. I feel very drained and I know you do as well. I am just glad to be able to have you next to me finally." He propped himself up slightly putting weight on the arm where Amy lay and leaned over and kissed her. It was just a soft, sweet kiss and didn't last long. He knew if he kissed her more passionately he would get too aroused, which was out of the question right now.

Sheldon lowered back down and turned his head to touch Amy's head and they lay content to be in each other's arms. Within minutes they were both fast asleep.

A couple of hours later, around 3 PM, Amy needed to go to the bathroom real bad, but needed Sheldon's help to get her out of bed without injuring the wound on her back. She gently nudged him and he immediately, popped up "Danger, danger" he said while looking around. Amy let out a giggle.

"Amy, why did you wake me up? I was having a great dream about us" Sheldon whined.

"I'm sorry, but I need help getting to the bathroom. I really need to go" Amy replied.

"Oh, sorry. Yes, just a minute, let me get over to your side to help you" Sheldon said and immediately threw back the covers and crawled out of his side of the bed. Running over to her side he tossed back the covers and leaned down so she could wrap her arms around his neck and shoulders to lift her off of the bed as painlessly as possible. "How was that? Any pain?" he asked.

"No, actually that worked well. So you were dreaming about us?"

He then unwrapped her arms around him and stood back up. He took her legs and turned them slowly to the side of the bed and helped act like a crutch to lift her off of the bed. She managed to do so with very little pain. "Yes, and it was pretty hot if you catch my drift. We will have to revisit the activity when you are healed. Do you need my help or can you manage sitting on the commode by yourself?" he asked.

"I think I can do it by myself. I will let you know in a minute. If I call out, come in and help" Amy said. She really didn't want to have to depend on him so much. The stronger she could get the quicker they could get back to normalcy. She was already miffed she was going to have to wait for another four weeks before enjoying the intimacy that they had once shared. She couldn't wait to be doing "hot" things to him.

Sheldon sat down on her side of the bed while she managed to shuffle over to the bathroom. He waited, thankful for Vulcan hearing, to see if she called for him. The next sound he heard was the flushing of the toilet. He knew she managed the task without his help. "Sheldon, can you help me pull up my pajama bottoms?" Within seconds he was there helping her pull them up. After washing they both went back and instead of getting back in bed, decided to go sit next to the fireplace. As opposed to starting a real fire, he turned on the gas log feature (the fireplace could do either). They sat together on the lounge chair; Amy curled up on her side leaning on Sheldon, his arms wrapped around her, watching the fire dance in the fireplace. Both closed their eyes and slept a little while longer, comforted in being able to be close to each other again.

Sheldon woke around 4:45 PM and nudged Amy. "Beautiful, we need to start getting ready to meet the others for dinner soon. Since you can't do a full shower, do you want me to help you with the hand unit bath? "

"If you wouldn't mind. It is hard to reach places with my back being as it is" Amy felt bad, but she knew Sheldon wouldn't mind.

"All right…well, let me see. I need to help you get up from here first. He untangled himself enough to move his legs in a way he could let his upper body be a support for Amy to lift off of the lounge. Once he got her up, he then got up and helped her walk over their closet to select which clothes she wanted to wear.

Once they had selected their garments, they stripped down and stepped into the shower. Sheldon made sure to keep Amy well protected from water other than the hand-held shower-head.

First he wanted to wash her hair and get it wrapped up so it didn't drip down her back. He had her lean forward, helping her slowly ease forward, as he lathered her hair, massaging her scalp as he did. She enjoyed the feel of the massage. He then rinsed it and added conditioner before a second rinsing. Using a hair turban, he wrapped up her wet hair, after squeezing out excess water and bound the turban encasing her wet hair. Helping her carefully, she was able to stand straight as he helped lather the rest of her torso. He depended on his old friend Kolinahr to try and keep from getting aroused. Once he was able to get her fully bathed, he then quickly washed his hair and lathered up. Finalizing with the rinse, he then gathered two towels, handing one to Amy. He helped her dry off and then used a second towel to dry himself.

They stepped out on the bath mat clean and dry. He then helped her step into her underwear and bring them up so she could bring them to her waist. They opted for no bra again for her and instead he pulled over her head a cotton tube which lay under a camisole. She had opted for a wrap dress for the occasion. Sheldon was pleased with the selection because it was easier for him to help her dress into. Once she was fully dressed, he dressed himself and they studied themselves in the mirror. Amy added a little blush and lip gloss to bring color to her face. She decided to let her hair air dry into natural soft curls. She found a sweet clip to put in her hair, asking for Sheldon to help because she could not lift her arms up without hurting her back. Once the clip was in place they were ready to head down and meet up with the others.

"Before we head down, perhaps I should call Howard and Bernadette to see if they can join us. I really would like to buy them dinner to thank them for all they have done," Sheldon suggested.

"I would like that" Amy nodded in agreement. Sheldon placed the call and discovered that the couple would be delighted to join them. They would just meet them there. He then called Leonard and Penny to see what they were up to, but Penny was working and Leonard had to use some of the equipment this week that was only available in the evenings so they could not be included.

"Well I guess we should head on down and meet the others" Sheldon held out his arm for Amy to wrap her arm through. He helped her slowly descend the stairs. "Mom, are you ready yet?" Sheldon yelled down toward the basement. Angus and Mee-Maw were waiting in the foyer. Angus was helping Mee-Maw with her coat and she seemed to be enjoying his chivalrous manner. They were having their own conversation but did take time to notice that Amy and Sheldon had come down and were ready to go for dinner.

"Shelly, I am here" Mary said, calling from the kitchen. "I just was taking out some trash that Missy had left downstairs. I felt it might start smellin' up the place."

Once they were all in the foyer, Sheldon set the house alarm and the group exited the house and climbed into his SUV. "My Shelly, this is a nice truck you have here" Mary said as she admired the interior of his car. He kept his car spotless and it looked as new as the day he drove it off the dealership lot the day after Thanksgiving.

"It is an SUV, but thank you" Sheldon was pleased at her approval.

Howard and Bernadette had met up with everyone and the spirits were high. Mee-Maw and Angus seemed to be in their own little world and it did not go unnoticed by both Amy and Bernadette. Mary even seemed to be looking over at them several times.

"I think Sheldon's grandmother has a thing for your grandfather" Bernadette whispered to Amy. Amy nodded enthusiastically and smiled widely as she replied "I know. It is so cute, isn't it?"

"I know, it really is adorable" Bernadette said.

Mary, who shared Sheldon's Vulcan hearing, frowned and said quietly back to the girls "Don't encourage that silly behavior. They are much too old to be getting fanciful about such notions."

Bernadette and Amy looked at each other and shrugged. "Oh Mrs. Cooper, I think love is a gift and wonderful thing at any age" Bernadette could not help but speak her opinion.

"I agree. I mean many people thought I would never find someone and yet here I am married to the most wonderful man on earth" Amy smiled lovingly at Sheldon.

Mary wasn't as convinced about the elderly couple, but she let it slide. "I suppose you are right. I never thought Shelly would find himself a young lady, and now here you both are, perfect for each other" Mary beamed. She was so happy her son was married and now she wanted grandbabies. "Now, I want to see you two get busy and make me some beautiful grandbabies."

"Mother, we are going to, first, have to wait on any "getting busy" as you put it until Amy is healed. Second, we have both agreed that we want to have at least a couple of years with each other initially and then think about starting a family," Sheldon wanted to set the record straight then and there. He knew his mother would nag them to death, but he honestly did want to have Amy to himself for now. Sure he wanted children, but it had taken him this many years to have sex and dang if he was going to have anything interrupt his passion years. He knew things would likely change some once a child entered the picture. They too required a lot of attention and care and right now he wanted that attention and care poured out on his woman.

"Oh Mary, leave the kids alone. Let them enjoy being in love for now. They have plenty of time to have little ones and I know both want children, so don't push them" Mee-Maw spoke up in Sheldon's defense.

"You can't blame me for tryin'" Mary said. "I don't want to be so old I can't enjoy them."

"If you haven't noticed I am still here and plan to be kicking around for at least another 10-15 years minimum, so I don't think you have to worry about getting too old for grandbabies," Mee-Maw felt insulted Mary would even think of herself as too old. Mee-Maw still felt younger than her chronological years and she knew Mary did as well.

Sheldon was thankful that Penny came over at that time. It was just what he needed to get the pressure taken off and a new subject to enter the table conversation.

After having a wonderful dinner and some desert, everyone said their farewells and head back to their homes. Sheldon loved all the family support he had been given over the recent days, but he was honestly glad he would have some quiet time with Amy starting tomorrow.

Upon arriving home, the three house-guests went off to their respective rooms to pack and prepare for bed. Mary and Mee-Maw had a fairly early morning flight and had to leave for the airport immediately after breakfast.

Angus had planned to stay at a hotel for a few days, wanting to catch up on work and other things he had been neglecting before his flight back to Scotland in a couple of days. He would be heading over to the hotel around 1 PM to check in.

Saying goodnight to all, Sheldon helped Amy back up the stairs and they retreated to their room.

Once they were changed, Sheldon helping Amy through the ordeal, they washed their faces, brushed their teeth, lit a fire, and sat in front of the fire. They turned on the television to catch up on the news.

"Ramona Niwitski pleaded guilty to all 10 counts held against her, including two attempted murder charges. She was sentenced today. The judge was not lenient in the slightest. She tried to bargain for simultaneous sentence times, but the judge did not see fit. He felt that Ramona still held no remorse for her crimes and therefore ordered her to consecutive sentences, which totaled up to 75 years without parole. Miss Niwitski will be moved to the State Penitentiary in Maximum Confinement. She threatened the judge during the sentencing and he may be adding more years on top of the previous counts as a result of her erratic behavior. In other news," the news anchor announced before Sheldon muted the sound.

"Are you okay?" Sheldon asked Amy, looking over at her. He was concerned about her hearing this news.

"Yes, but it makes me sad that someone that had been so bright and promising could have acted so irrationally and now is going to pay for it the rest of her life," Amy shrugged. She again winced when she did, forgetting that it always gave her pain.

"You are in pain, do you want a pain tablet?" Sheldon immediately noticed her wince.

"No, I am fine. I just keep forgetting that sudden movements like shrugging or whatever can give me little jabs of pain" Amy reassured. "So how do you feel? You worked with Ramona."

"I think the judge was fair to be honest. Ramona was always a bit unbalanced and I guess she was far worse than I realized. I never thought she would have been capable of trying to murder anyone, but after she attempted to murder you, twice I might add, I am devoid of feeling compassion for her. I think the judge was fair" Sheldon said. He really didn't want to think about Ramona one moment longer. She had interrupted too much of their lives already.

"You are right, she is rather unbalanced. I am surprised her lawyer didn't try to plead insanity. Maybe she didn't agree?"

"I think it would be highly unlikely for Ramona to agree to such a plea, even if it meant a shorter sentence. She has too much pride for that. She would rather serve out the rest of her years in prison than to admit to a label of insanity," Sheldon understood not wanting to plead that you were insane.

"Yes, I could see how that would bother someone immensely. I am not sure I would ever want that label either", Amy admitted. She could see his viewpoint.

"Enough about Ramona! She has ruined too many days already. Do you need me to check the dressing on your back?" Sheldon realized he had not changed it.

"Oh, I guess it is due for a changing. I don't want it to go too long without attention since the MRSA might still be kicking around in my system" Amy admitted. "Are you sure you are okay with changing it? If not, maybe your mother or Mee-Maw would be willing."

"No, I want to do it. I will need to do it when they are gone anyway so let me change it," Sheldon was determined.

"Ok. I actually would rather you do it anyway if you are okay with doing so," Amy confessed.

Sheldon nodded and immediately went to the bathroom to prepare the necessary things he would require for changing her dressing. Coming back out he helped her raise her pajama top up so that he could get to the bandaging. Putting on rubber gloves, he carefully removed the previous dressing and discarded it immediately. He removed the pair of gloves he had been wearing and then put on a second pair. He then began to study her wound and apply the dermal antibiotic before placing a new bandage over the wound, securing it with surgical tape. "It appears to be closing quite nicely from what I can tell. I don't see any instance of infection," Sheldon noted. "You are now all bandaged up." He lowered her pajama top back down carefully and removed his rubber gloves, disposing of them quickly. He washed his hands and returned to join Amy by the fire.

She had changed the channel and was absorbed in an Iron Chef episode.

"What's the secret ingredient?" Sheldon asked.

"It is brains" Amy smiled. "I could not help but watch once I noticed what the ingredient was."

"Oh yuck! That is so gross, Amy. How anyone could eat a brain, well it is just sick," Sheldon was truly grossed out at the thought.

"It is amazing to me all of the ways they are using them to make their dishes. I have never eaten brains before, and gathering from your reaction about the show content, I am presuming neither have you?" Amy questioned.

"No, I haven't and I never intend to" Sheldon said. "Don't think because you work with brains all day that you can serve me some for dinner some night and not tell me."

"I promise to never make a meal that involves eating brains," Amy reassured him. They both continued to watch, amazed at all the ways the chefs prepared the brains. They were even more grossed out watching the judges eat them. All of them were excited about eating them at that. It shocked both Amy and Sheldon that anyone would be excited to eat them. The winning chef had been chosen and being sufficiently grossed out, Sheldon turned off the set.

"It is one thing for me to watch this show in fascination, but to be excited at the thought to eat brains, well it is rather unpleasant" Amy admitted.

"Unpleasant is a kind word. I would say gross," Sheldon chuckled. "I prefer brains to be kept well inside of the skull, being used heavily to make advancements in our world."

"Yes, as do I" Amy agreed. "Sheldon, do you mind if we cuddle in bed? I am getting a bit tired again."

"I was going to suggest the same thing." He noticed the fire had burned down to embers and so closed the screen doors to ensure that none of the embers popped out onto the floor. With that he helped Amy back up. Walking her over to the bed, he helped her lower down onto the bed and tucked her in before going over to his side and doing the same. He switched off the sconces that had been lighting the room and moved slowly closer to Amy, to not cause her pain, before he began to cuddle with her. It wasn't long before both were fast asleep, secure in knowing that Ramona was locked away and could not cause them any more harm.

DING DONG DING DONG DING DONG Sheldon was woken immediately by the doorbell. He looked over at the alarm clock and noticed it was only 6:30 AM. Amy stirred and said "Is that the doorbell? What time is it?"

"Yes it is, and it is only 6:30 AM. I will go down and see who it is. You just stay right where you are," Sheldon insisted. He tossed back the covers, threw on his robe and padded across the room to exit. His heart beat fast from the rude awakening and from the curiosity of who would be so bold as to arrive at 6:30 AM and wake up his household.


	54. Chapter 54: The Honeymoon Journey

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Sheldon descended the stairs and went around to the living room to peek out the window to see if he could see who was standing on the doorstep. He wasn't willing to open the door too quickly without first knowing who might be on the other side. He couldn't make out completely who it was until he looked out and saw the car. He then went over to the front door and opened it.

"Surprise! I thought I would bring breakfast for all of you since Amy still is recuperating and you are busy taking care of her. I felt your house-guests shouldn't be cooking" the tiny blond said.

"Bernadette, good morning. You are very thoughtful" Sheldon couldn't decide whether to remain annoyed or be pleased that she had been so kind.

"I will go get Amy and we will be down in a minute. You are welcome to go on back to the kitchen," Sheldon finally said, deciding to appreciate the kind gesture. He ran back upstairs and into the master suite.

"Amy, it is Bernadette. She brought breakfast for everyone. She felt you would not be well enough to cook and that I would be too busy watching after you to cook and it was unfair to have house guests cook so she brought breakfast," Sheldon explained.

"Oh my gosh, she thinks of everything! How can I possibly repay her? I have decided to also call her another Bestie because she has become another best friend. It is okay to have two, isn't it?"

"Yes, I think you can have two. Leonard is my best friend, but Howard has been so good to me as well that I too think I will up him to a best friend status, but I probably won't let him know that because it will go to his head. It is just between you and I that I think of him as one," Sheldon concurred.

Sheldon moved over to help Amy get out of bed and then retrieved her robe and hairbrush so she could be presentable to go down the stairs. He helped her put on her robe and then brushed her hair so it was not as unruly from a night of sleep. He turned her around, kissed her lips and smiled. "Beautiful!"

Amy smiled up at him and pulled him down for another kiss, by grabbing his pajama shirt. "Let's go, handsome. Now that you mentioned food, I am hungry again."

The duo walked out of the room and Sheldon helped Amy back down the stairs.

After breakfast, Mary and Mee-Maw head back to the airport an Angus joined Amy in the living room next to the fireplace. It was one of those dreary early March mornings where it had been drizzling and gloomy. The fire felt nice. Angus would be leaving to the hotel in a few hours so that meant Sheldon and Amy would have the house to themselves, but Amy was already missing the women who just left and was feeling a bit melancholy about Angus leaving in a couple of days as well. She knew that he had to get back to his life in Scotland. She hoped their paths would cross again soon.

After Angus left, Sheldon and Amy went back upstairs and took a long nap. All of the hub-bub that began prior to the wedding seemed a non-stop flow of people, drama, trauma, and energy-draining activity. They needed the rest. Once they got up, they spent the remaining part of the afternoon just relaxing in front of the fire in their room. They didn't even want to leave their retreat.

"Amy, it's nearly 5:30, do you want to have me order in?" Sheldon asked when he became hungry.

"No, let's try and go to a quiet place and be waited on" Amy said. She drug herself up and rifled through clothing to find something easy to wear that wouldn't cause too much of a problem getting in and out of and would not complicate her injuries. Sheldon also changed at the same time and they took off to a small café where they enjoyed a quiet dinner and each other. It was almost as if they were early in their dating life again because their conversation was plentiful and their eye-coitus was intense. They even played a short version of counter-factuals while they waited for their food to be prepared. It seemed like old times to them and they relished every moment.

Returning home, they snuggled up in the living room, each with a journal related to their professions. Every now and again they would share an interesting fact on what they were reading. They didn't need much conversation, just each other.

Several weeks later, Amy was finally healed. Bandages had been removed, stiches dissolved and she was finally given a full release to return to work as well as could resume intimate activity with her husband. Amy was elated. Her first day back to work, however, was quite an eye-opener. She realized how much she had missed and how behind she had become. Her field, while to the outside world would seemingly be moving at a snail's pace, was actually very quick moving from within. She felt overwhelmed and frustrated. She really wanted it to have gone smooth because she was hoping to make the evening very special for Sheldon. He had been very patient and loving and she wanted to show him just how much she appreciated him. But unfortunately, work sucked all her enthusiasm and energy right out of her. She returned home that evening with piles of files and reading material to wade through, exhausted, aching and head spinning.

Sheldon had a similar day, even though he had partially been keeping up while she had been hospitalized and worked during her post-hospital recovery. Yet returning back full time, where he no longer had to focus on her recovery was also exhausting for him. He was in a lot of meetings, which he disliked immensely and had to teach of all things. He hated teaching. He loved the research, but hated teaching more than anything. Students never appreciated his mind or his teaching abilities. They would always make snarky comments about him and post them on youtube, twitter and facebook. This semester he was forced to teach not only one class, but three classes. Overwhelming him with preparation time, knowing that all his efforts were for naught, he was more than annoyed which only further sapped energy from him. One thing he was glad about is that they were going to be having a Spring break during the week he had scheduled for them to fly to Scotland for their long-overdue honeymoon.

Three and a half weeks had passed and both Sheldon and Amy had settled well into a routine. They had finally caught up and now were passionate again about their work and each other. Their sex life had been eased back into. Sheldon still was concerned, even after her clean bill of health and so wanted to take it a bit slowly to ensure she didn't stress her body too much. That coming weekend, they would be flying to Scotland and the excitement was mounting.

"Sheldon, you never told me what kind of weather we might be experiencing where we are going. Should I pack bikini's or should I be packing sweaters?" Amy asked. She was dying of curiosity but Sheldon was still being very secretive about their destination.

"Not that I mind seeing you in a bikini, but I believe the weather where we will be is likely to be more on the chilly side. I recommend sweaters" Sheldon replied.

"Really? Now I am intrigued" Amy said. She had assumed that he might be taking her to an island, but his answer indicated otherwise. She could not imagine where they may be going.

"Can't you give me any other hint?" Amy tried to persuade.

"No, that is your one and only hint. You used up your only hint," Sheldon teased and leaned down to kiss the tip of her nose.

"I promise to make it worth your while if you tell me more" she tried to seduce.

"Oh you can make it worth my while, and I still won't tell, although I would like to see what you consider "making it worth my while" mind you," he said using hand gestures for the quotes.

"Humph…" Amy faux-pouted. She actually loved it that he was being romantic in keeping where they were going a secret. "Well can you tell me will I need any formal wear?" Amy finally asked.

"I recommend bringing at least one gown. I don't think you will need more than that, but you might bring a second nicer dress just in case" Sheldon admitted. He wasn't sure what they may need, but had figured Angus might want to put together a soiree to introduce his granddaughter to other family and his colleagues. Knowing Angus, it might be a formal affair.

"Then I need to call my girls" Amy said. "My girls and I need to hit the mall and help me find a beautiful gown and a nice dress" Amy teased.

"I suppose none of your other gowns will do?" Sheldon sighed. He knew women hated wearing a gown more than once, something he found to be totally wasteful, yet was resigned to accept.

"Absolutely not. I have worn all of those gowns already and well, they are probably out of style by now" Amy frowned, rifling through her small number of gowns.

"Well, all right then. I suppose you had better call the girls to meet over here so you can get your excursion over with before the stores close" Sheldon said as he studied his wardrobe as well. "You know, I might need a tux. I never purchased one and have always rented them. Maybe I should head to the mall as well."

"A tux? Oh well that helps me know how dressy a gown to get now. Thanks for the hint" Amy teased. She had just dialed Penny.

"Bestie, what are you doing right now?" She listened as Penny said not much. "Good, meet me at the house. We are going shopping and I need your advice on some formal wear." Hanging up from Penny she repeated pretty close to the same conversation with Bernadette. She then called Alex and asked her to join them as well.

Once the three girls arrived the four of them took off in Amy's car to the mall. They were busy chattering and trying to guess where Sheldon might be taking Amy. It only helped to increase her excitement.

Sheldon in the meantime called his male posse together and they met up at a tux shop in town. He opted to go there instead of the mall first. He figured Raj would be the most likely to hit the nail on which tux would look best, yet have some longevity to it before going out of style.

Later, everyone returned back to the house exhausted and full of purchases. Penny had, of course, bought another pair of shoes for herself that were calling her name. Bernadette had found a cute suit to purchase for an upcoming business trip she would be going on and Alex had found a purse to die for. Amy came back with a beautiful chocolate brown gown, an emerald necklace and earring set, beautiful pumps to go with her gown and then three beautiful new dresses that could either be dressed up for dressier "cocktail evening" wear or could also be covered with a jacket or cardigan and made more appropriate for every-day.

Sheldon returned with a brand new tux that was conservatively stylish. It was one that could be worn many years and would look still in style. He even was fortunate enough to have been able to find a Gaelic store nearby that carried all kinds of things, including some accessories that would go well with his tux. He found an ascot, as well as a bow tie/cummerbund set and a kerchief for the pocket, all in the Cooper clan tartan. He hid those things from Amy. He felt it was too strong of a clue so only showed her the tux and the shoes he purchased. The other items were at the bottom of his tux garment bag. When she asked what was still in the bag he covered by saying "black socks."

Both Amy and Sheldon thanked their friends and retired for the night. They were leaving the day after the next.

The couple packed last minute things that had to wait for the day they were leaving the morning they were flying to Scotland. Once packed, they head to the airport via a limo that Sheldon had hired. He felt it was classier for their honeymoon and cheaper in the long-run than leaving his car, which could be broken into, at the airport. They checked all but carry-on bags and after standing in line for over an hour finally made it through airport security. Sheldon then asked that Amy wear earphones, which he had attached to an mp3 player so that she at least could hear her favorite music and he blind folded her. He really did not want her to know until they were in the air where they were headed. He didn't want any announcements by airport personnel to give it away before then. She balked, but finally caved and did as he asked.

Guiding her through various people who looked at them very strangely, he finally found the gate. They boarded about 30 minutes later as he helped her down the walkway and into the plane. He removed both the blindfold and earphones once they got aboard the plane. They were flying in first class, something Amy had not expected. It was very roomy relative to the rest of the plane. Amy was ecstatic.

"Sheldon, you didn't have to pay for us to go first class. Isn't that rather wasteful?" the practical side of Amy coming out.

"No, absolutely it is not wasteful. This is our honeymoon, even if it is a delayed one. That means I am pulling out all the stops to show my wife just how much I appreciate her.

Amy snuggled up to him and gave him a small peck on the cheek. "You are so romantic. You really have upheld your vows, do you know that?"

"What do you mean?"

"In sickness and in health….you have been there for me during my darkest moments and still didn't go running. I know how hard that must have been for you and I want you to know that you know that you know, that I will always be there for you the same way" Amy sincerely shared. She smiled lovingly at him.

"I know you would be. I never doubted it, but it wasn't hard, Amy. It was easy because I love you. The hard part was watching you suffer and knowing it was all for senseless reasons. I wanted to give you the world and then my world came crashing down when I saw you next to the limo that you should have been getting in and instead were lying on the pavement in a pool of blood. Now that was the hard part. I thought my life was over at that moment. The mere thought of ever losing you is too much for me to bear" Sheldon confessed.

Amy was so touched that she couldn't even say anything. She was fighting back tears. Tears of love so strong that she didn't even know it was possible to love someone as much as she loved Sheldon. She knew he hated it when she was weepy so was blinking so much and turned to look out the window to try and wipe quickly some tears that escaped. Taking a deep breath she finally said, "I feel the same way, Sheldon. If I were to ever lose you my life would be over." She turned back to the window and watched the airline bag-handlers lifting bags into the compartment beneath as she wiped tears away.

Around 20 minutes later, the doors were closed and the plane was pulling back from the gates. The emergency rules were gone over, Sheldon paying attention to them in detail as he studied the card. Amy ignored it all and was busy reading a paper she brought along from work that needed her attention. She wasn't even paying attention enough to have heard that the flight attendant was giving how long it would take to reach Glasgow. Sheldon looked out of the corner of his eye and was pleased to note that she didn't hear it. He felt it didn't spoil his surprise.

Once in the air, Amy looked out the window at everything below growing smaller and smaller in size. She marveled at how nice it was to look at the patterns of streets and backyard pools from above.

"How long of a flight is it?" Amy finally asked. She realized she wasn't even aware how long they would be in the air before they left.

"We have a stop between, but it will be an overnight flight. I won't tell you more than that, but it will be a long flight" Sheldon replied, his eyes twinkling.

"Interesting. Do we have to switch planes?"

"No, I made sure that we remained on the same plane. I don't like exposing myself to more germs than necessary" Sheldon replied.

"I wish I had known we would be overnight. I didn't pack a toothbrush" Amy said.

"That little bag that was on your chair when we boarded has all kinds of things in it, including a toothbrush and paste" Sheldon smiled. They both unzipped their packs and began to search through them. Amy loved the socks and immediately kicked off her shoes to put them on.

After the stop at another domestic airport, others piled on to the plane taking the seats that had been vacated by those who deplaned during the stopover, before the plane again ascended in the air and they were now on their way to Scotland.

"Amy, turn your monitor on to channel 7. They have a good documentary on bionics" Sheldon noted as he was flipping through stations. He settled on the same channel he suggested Amy watch. Amy followed suit and the two held hands watching and at times making fun of parts they knew were "hokum".

The flight was going well when suddenly Amy noticed that it seemed as if the flight attendants were concerned and so she kept an eye to see if she could figure out what was going on. She decided against alerting Sheldon. He was a nervous flyer in general that she didn't need to get his dander up further.

Suddenly the captain came on and announced that they would be re-routed and landing in London. Sheldon looked up startled. "London? What's going on?"

"Sheldon, calm down. Are you saying we aren't supposed to be going to London?" Amy still wasn't sure what their destination was since she hadn't paid attention when they took off back in the States.

"No, we are not going to London" Sheldon fidgeted as his anxiety level was rising. "Excuse me Miss, can you tell me why we are landing in London?" he asked the flight attendant who started to head toward the Business Class behind them.

"Sir, we have been re-routed there. We will be booking you on a flight to your final destination from there" was all the attendant would reveal.

Suddenly there was a lot of commotion and raised voices coming from behind them. It sounded as if coming from the coach section of the plane, but the raised voice was so loud it was clear that there was some sort of altercation occurring. Within minutes there were sounds of a struggle and thumping that was coming closer and closer to the first class cabin. Two male flight attendants, an airline Marshall and two female attendants were struggling against a red headed woman and her boyfriend. The woman finally said, let me go or I will pull this cord and it will be all over for everyone. The Marshall asked that hands be taken off of her and he immediately saw that she was wired up with bombs.

Sheldon swallowed hard and began to hyperventilate "Oh dear Lord, Amy I love you and always will" he finally blurt out. "I won't let…wait…is that?"

Amy's eyes widened and her mouth dropped as she got a good look at the woman. "No, it can't be" she said as she put her hand over her mouth. "How did she…."

The red-head continued to make demands and suddenly one of the attendants was on the phone with the captain.

"Miss, we don't have enough fuel to go to Riyadh. We would have to make at least two stops before you would get there. The likelihood of you succeeding in your plan is slim," the Marshall told the woman. The two male flight attendants immediate shoved her boyfriend into one of the bathrooms and locked it from the outside so he would be forced to stay in there. In the meantime they returned to help the Marshall should the woman try anything.

"Sheldon, did she say Riyadh?" Amy whispered to Sheldon.

"Yes, I believe she did. Wait, that is where the prince is located...you know the one you were supposed to be engaged to…Faisal…isn't that it?"

"Yes. I can't believe we are witnessing a hijack situation. Could she know about Faisal?" Amy squeezed his hand, part of her excited because it was dangerous and Amy always liked challenges, but another part was truly afraid. She continued to study the woman. "Sheldon, why would Ramona want to go there?"

"I am not sure that is Ramona" Sheldon said, still eyeing her. "She is a spit and image, but there is something about the way she delivers her authority that is slightly different from what I remember about Ramona and we all know my eidetic memory never fails. It wouldn't be hard for her to have learned about Faisal and where he was located if they were following your Facebook page. You had those pictures of camels posted remember."

"Ugh, yes. I took those down though after we got engaged. I emailed Faisal and he understood and said the engagement had only been a formality for funding purposes but that the restrictions were lifted once I was no longer available for marriage to him." Amy elaborated. "Did Ramona have a sister?" Amy asked, still whispering.

The woman then turned and noticed Sheldon and Amy. She glared and said to the Marshall, "You can blame them. They are just icing on the cake to my plan." The Marshall never took his eyes off of Ramona but the flight attendants nearby looked over at Sheldon and Amy. One came over and asked if they knew her.

"I am not sure, is her name Ramona?" Sheldon asked.

"No, sir her name is Celia" the attendant replied back.

"Well she is quite an alike image of a woman who was a grad student of mine and who recently shot my wife as we attempting to leave our wedding reception to head home" Sheldon shared with the attendant. "It is uncanny how much she looks like Ramona. Ramona was sentenced to 75 years in prison" Sheldon replied.

Celia kept spewing nasty comments and screaming how she had to get to Riyadh, but the Marshall continued to speak to her calmly. He would distract her with questions, which she would have a bit of a calming effect on her.

"You said that the woman, named Ramona, was sentenced to prison? Was she remanded immediately?" the flight attendant looked over unsure whether they might be the same person or not and she was using a pseudo.

"Yes, she was remanded at sentencing according to the news report" Sheldon replied.

"It was because of them that my sister is in prison" Celia yelled out, pointing at Sheldon and Amy. The Marshall then asked her to calm down and talk to him. She looked over at him. He asked her what was in Riyadh. Why was it important to get there? She replied "There is a Prince there who needs to learn about a betrayal" she said. "Besides I have other business there and it is none of your business."

One of the flight attendants heard the captain signal that he needed one of them to pick up the phone and communicate. She went over to the phone and held a conversation. Once she was done, she went over to the Marshall and whispered a few words in his ear while he kept an eye on Celia as he listened, nodding off and on.

"So Ramona had a sister?" Amy whispered.

"It appears so. I wonder if she is a twin. She seems to resemble her and either they were very close in age or they are twins" Sheldon replied.

Both Sheldon and Amy were engrossed in the drama unfolding in front of them. Many passengers were nervous and started acting erratic in other cabins, making the plane full of chaos. The Marshall, however, never took his eyes off of Celia, and he kept two of the male flight attendants nearby to help restrain her if necessary.

The Captain came on and announced they were beginning their descent and that everyone needed to be seated and with seatbelts secured. Two seats had been unfilled in first class. One of the attendants asked a passenger to move to another seat so that the Marshall and Celia could be seated next to each other. In one swift move, the Marshall cuffed her, her arms placed behind her quickly before she could react. He then escorted her to an empty seat while he sat next to her. He continued to keep an eye on her the entire time and would keep checking her wired bomb. It did not appear to have a time element to it, but was more of a self-trigger set-up which helped him breathe. He knew she would not be able to easily set if off with his watching her and having her cuffed.

Once the plane set down, it didn't taxi to a terminal jet-way; instead it was kept on a runway once it came to a stop. There were emergency vehicles, Scotland Yard, bomb squads, and Interpol officials all waiting and pulling up near the plane. The Marshall pulled Celia up out of her seat and escorted her down a stairway. Once she was handed over, he came back and asked Sheldon and Amy to deplane. Both of them looked at each other puzzled.

"We will comply, but may I ask why you have asked us to deplane?" Sheldon asked as politely as he could.

"We need to get a statement from you and your wife as well as you will need to be interviewed about your association with the suspect in question" the Marshall responded.

"We neither one have ever meet or seen this woman before today in our lives" Sheldon replied, totally confused.

"Sheldon, let's just do as he asked," Amy said reassuringly. They gathered their carryon bags and followed the Marshall.

"Sir, will our checked luggage be able to be removed to be with us?" Sheldon asked when he realized they might be sent on without them.

"Yes. All baggage on this flight will be coming off of the plane here. They have to be inspected and the plane will be thoroughly inspected. Most passengers will not be allowed off the plane until interviews have taken place" the Marshall informed.

Sheldon at least was glad they were not going to be stuck on the plane like other passengers but he was concerned that they had been singled out. Both Sheldon and Amy followed the Marshall down the portable stairs of the plane to the ground and were immediately taken to an unmarked vehicle with officials in the front seat of the car. Their carryon bags were placed in the trunk and the Marshall leaned in and said "Your other bags will be brought to you. There are officials here who will bring them to you once they have passed inspection." He then shut the door and they were off to who knows where.


	55. Chapter 55: Scotland Yard Hospitality

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Arriving at Scotland Yard, Sheldon and Amy were escorted to an office and kept there for quite some time. Both of them were tired from an overnight flight where the last two hours of the flight were pure drama and chaos. The stress was starting to hit them and fatigue set in. When Sheldon gets tired, he gets cranky and Amy knew this. She asked him to just rest his head on her shoulder and close his eyes while they were stuck waiting. He complied with little fight because he was too tired to care. Amy leaned her head back against the wall, closed her eyes and tried to rest while they waited. Sheldon eventually fell into a slumber on her shoulder. Amy fought hard to stay awake, her head rolling suddenly to the side when she would begin to drift off, reminding her where she was.

After waiting a good hour or more, the door finally opened. "Hello, I am Captain Wallingsworth" a man said, holding out his hand to Amy after eyeing a sleeping Sheldon.

"Hello. I am Dr. Amy Farrah Cooper, nie Fowler and this is my husband Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper. As we have been flying across the ocean all night, and have been on planes for over 17 hours, took nearly an hour to get here and sat in this office an hour, you can understand why my husband and I are a bit weary."

"Yes, and I apologize. I need to ask you and your husband some questions, however" Captain Wallingsworth was pleasant, yet very by the book.

Amy nudged Sheldon "Sheldon, Captain Wallingsworth has some questions for us" she said calmly and gently. She nudged him again, stroking his hair. He awoke quietly for him. Normally he would pop straight up, but the sweet way she woke him brought him an eased alertness.

"Uh hem. Excuse me. I apologize for nodding off like that. I am Dr. Sheldon Lee Cooper and this is my wife…" Sheldon started to introduce Amy before being waved off by the captain.

"Yes, your wife has already introduced you both to me. Now, I need to ask you some questions" the captain started.

"By all means, go ahead" Sheldon gestured with his hand as if offering him all the time in the world.

"As you know, we were handed over a suspect in a hijacking on the plane where earlier you both were passengers and witness to the hijacker."

Both Amy and Sheldon nodded.

"Did you know the woman who was brought in?"

"No, neither of us had seen her before. She looks, however, as if a twin of a woman that used to be a graduate student of mine at Cal Tech" Sheldon replied.

"What was the graduate student's name?" the captain continued to query.

"Ramona Nowitzki" Sheldon replied. "She recently shot my wife and then while my wife was just out of surgery in the intensive care unit, she came and cut her breathing tube apparatus, attempting to kill her a second time. She is a very unbalanced woman." Amy nodded in agreement.

"Did you know Miss Nowitzki long and more important, has she been caught?" the captain was all ears.

"She was a student of mine for part of a semester. She was rather bright and had a promising career, but she also had a very unhealthy attachment to my work. Yes, she was not only caught but recently sentenced to 75 years in prison" Sheldon replied. Amy nodded in agreement.

Looking at Amy, the captain asked "Did you know Miss Nowitzki personally?"

"Yes, but under a pseudo name. I work at the University of California in Los Angeles in the neurobiology department. Ramona applied for a job and due to a clerical travesty, no one checked her credentials. She worked about a month before our wedding in my department, but she called herself Mona Cooper. Sheldon had not yet met her as my colleague so neither of us were aware of the depth of her instability until after she shot me at our wedding. We had just left the reception and were about to embark into the limo when she shot me."

"So she hired on a month before your wedding. Was there any press or anything that might have let her know that you were to be married?" the captain was intrigued.

"Yes. Sheldon has just been named the recipient of three Nobel Prizes, two in physics and one in literature. However, Sheldon didn't receive notification about his third win until I was in the hospital. At the time she shot me, he had been in the news for having won the two Prizes in literature and his first award in physics. It became newsworthy since he was the first recipient to receive two in the same year. As part of the press articles, they did mention his impending nuptials to me" Amy replied.

"Interesting, very interesting" the captain said, rubbing his chin as he did as if he had a beard that was non-existent. He studied the couple and was very intently watching them as they responded to each question.

"Dr. Cooper, how long ago was it that Miss Nowitzki had been a graduate student of yours?"

"She was a student in the Fall of 2008" Sheldon replied "so it was five years ago."

"Had you been in touch with her for the last five years?" the captain stared at Sheldon intently.

"No. We had a disagreement when she was my student. She wanted me to credit her for a paper I was writing but without providing any academic contribution to the work. When I told her that I would not agree to include her on the work, she became quite irate and stomped out. That was the last I saw of her. She withdrew from my class after that and added a different course under a different instructor," Sheldon replied.

"Did you and Miss Nowitzki have a relationship outside of the classroom?" Captain Wallingsworth asked.

"No, of course not" Sheldon was indignant.

"Well, now Sheldon, let me interject here. Captain Wallingsworth, my husband isn't what you would call the most aware of human nature. He was very child-like when we first met. He always looked at people in terms of categories, but he certainly was never interested in anyone romantically. When Miss Nowitzki was a student of Sheldon's she placed herself, all on her own I might add, in a role of assistant to Sheldon. She would run his errands and do chores for him so that he could continue his research. But there was no friendship or relationship per se. It was him believing her as a servant, if you will, for lack of a better word. The student benefits because as he is working, he shared what he learned with her so she could benefit academically." Amy looked at the captain, hoping he would understand.

"Now I was not around, so much of what I am explaining is from what he and all of our closest friends have told me about Miss Nowitzki. She was very driven to make a name for herself. She wanted glory for work she didn't do. So she would act as a task-master to try and keep Sheldon focused on his work, not allowing him to do the normal things that he enjoyed with his friends. For example, he wasn't allowed to watch any TV, but would write his findings for the day instead. She in the meantime, would make sure that she ran any errands he had so that he would not be distracted from working. I believe that she found doing these things for him enjoyable and she fantasized that he might actually like her as a person, maybe even romanticized it. However, Sheldon was oblivious to all of this."

"I guess I am oblivious. I had no idea that she would romanticize anything at all. I found her to be a pest and annoying and I really was glad we had the disagreement in the end because she was a bit of a dictator, treating me as if I wasn't a man but instead a little boy and she was my mother" Sheldon interrupted, eyes wide with the revelation Amy just made.

"Yes, Sheldon, I am sure you had no idea." Turning to the captain, she continued "Sheldon and I met in May 2010. When we first met, we connected because of our shared interests in science and other academia. It took Sheldon quite some time to recognize that I was even a woman, much less someone that he might develop feelings for. It just wasn't something Sheldon sought after…romance that is. He was fully devoted and still is, to science. He would never have noticed Miss Nowitzki romantically, especially since she was not providing what he truly needed and that was respect. She didn't treat him with any respect, but instead wanted clout by association. Sheldon is top in his field and is respected by the University and others in the physics world as one of their top resources. She knew this and so she went for the "gold" so to speak. She thought by association, she too would be respected. But to earn respect you have to give it and she didn't know how to give it" Amy continued.

Sheldon looked at Amy and was about to say something but she squeezed his hand, which was out of view by the captain, to signal him to remain quiet.

"Is this true, Dr. Cooper? You had absolutely no interest romantically in Miss Nowitzki?"

"Yes, it is true. I personally had no desire for romance of any sort. Amy was the first person to 'turn my head' so to speak." Sheldon replied.

The captain looked Amy up and down and shrugged. He thought she wasn't a bad looking woman if you could find her underneath her layers and all her plainness. He was amused by the fact that the man in front of him seemed to be so smitten with a woman that most would not ever think twice about. He also knew that the woman, Celia that had been brought in, if she looked like her sister, was definitely more appealing by the masses than Amy would have been. He nodded.

Sheldon continued "Miss Nowitzki never really showed me any respect as Amy has pointed out. She did treat me as a child and dictated my life at the time. I hated it, but kept focused on work. Once she revealed her desire to be co-author on my paper, I knew then and there that she wanted credit for work she never performed. I have no patience for cheats."

"So what was your plan if she had decided to stick around?" Wallingsworth asked.

"I have never been one to hold back what I feel, Captain. I have often been accused of being so honest that it comes across rude and heartless at times. I would have told her that I no longer needed her to run my errands and to leave me alone. It might not have been the kindest words, but as I said, I am not one to know tact in such matters."

Amy nodded in agreement. "Yes he can be very abrupt. I am sure since he was so annoyed with her already, he probably would not have sugar coated his words."

The captain finished jotting down his observations and looked up.

"So you were published in the press about your wins, which by the way, congratulations, that is quite an achievement. You were published and in the media, they mentioned about your upcoming wedding." Turning to Amy, "Was Miss Nowitzki, or Mona Cooper in this case, invited to your wedding?"

"No, she was not. I kept our list of guests to a minimum so only one colleague from work was there. All others were not invited. She did know about the wedding, however, because my colleagues gave me a bit of a party one afternoon at work to wish me well" Amy confided.

"Was she at the party?"

"Yes, she was there and probably overheard responses to the many questions I got about the details of the wedding. I never dreamed when I was responding to queries from my colleagues, that one of them would come and shoot me," Amy frowned.

"Yes, I am sure that would be unexpected" the captain nodded. "How was it known that she was at the wedding?"

"She sat in the back of the chapel, but she didn't make it hard to see her. She was dressed rather flamboyantly for a wedding. It would have been hard to miss her from where the bridal party came up the aisle, "Amy mentioned. "I was surprised she was there. By the time Sheldon and I came back down the aisle, she was leaving the chapel."

"Dr. Cooper, when Miss Nowitzki was your student, did she ever speak of her family?" the captain asked.

"No, she never spoke to me of her family. We didn't really have a personal relationship. Most of our interactions were about physics or me giving her instructions on an errand I sent her on. Beyond that, we didn't really talk" Sheldon was bored with the questions he was getting.

"Do you know if she had any connections to Riyadh or do either of you have any connections there?" the captain asked.

"I am not aware of any connections she had other than with my class and other professors at the school" Sheldon replied and then looked at Amy.

"Captain Wallingsworth, I received grant funds from Prince Faisal. As part of the laws there, he could only grant funds to a single woman if she were engaged to him. As part of our agreement we would be engaged on paper, but I was free to date whoever I wanted and if I chose to marry someone else, then the law would uphold the grant funding because I was no longer considered single. By then, the funds were transferred into UCLA as the recipient instead of me so that he could continue to back my research. He keeps up on Neurobiology and advancements in the field. If it were not for his role as a Prince he would have chosen neurosciences as his profession. We keep in contact annually where I send him an annual reporting of my progress and use of resources that were funded so he could understand his return on investment. We had no personal relationship, only a professional one,' Amy replied.

"So is he aware of your recent nuptials?"

"Yes, I emailed him when Sheldon and I became engaged. At that same time I sent him paperwork to sign where UCLA would become the recipient of the grant, stipulating which project specifically in the Neurobiology Department was to receive the funding. It removed all instances of my name specifically. He signed and had his State seal on the document returned and filed with the University. He sent a separate email to me wishing Sheldon and I the best and was happy for us. He himself had just acquired his fifth wife. He said he was relieved because legally he would have had to release me from the obligation of engagement anyway and this allowed him to still fund the project that was near to his heart. He was afraid he would have to quit the funding otherwise." Amy expected more questions and watched as the captain made notes.

"Did you meet anyone else or speak with anyone else in Riyadh?" Captain Wallingsworth finally asked.

"No, other than …and that was mainly to answer what burqa I wanted to wear or what I wanted to eat. Other than that, I believe I spoke to the airline personnel when I arrived to get directions how to navigate the airport and limo driver I thanked when he picked me up and dropped me off at the airport. Beyond that, I do not believe I spoke to anyone other than the Prince….Oh, and he did take me on a tour of one of their university facilities doing similar research. I asked some questions to some of the researchers about their studies and equipment, but nothing more than that."

"Were you introduced to any of the Prince's other wives or concubines?"

"No. I wasn't really there more than a day to close a business transaction with him."

The captain nodded and took more notes. "I would like to have you both provide me with your passports and you are not allowed to leave London until we are further along in our investigation."

"Sir, we were just starting our honeymoon and this was not our destination," Sheldon started.

"I realize that Dr. Cooper, but you can understand the predicament you are in. Right now we have to ensure that you have no connections to the accused and that you are conspiring with the suspect."

Sheldon opened his mouth but Amy touched his arm lightly and interrupted "We understand. Will there be a problem finding a hotel and will we need our passports to check in?" Amy began to rummage through her purse. She was holding both of their passports in her bag.

"I will make sure to have my secretary book you a very nice suite nearby and will clear with the front desk the reason you will not have passports on your personages" the captain smiled at Amy, realizing she was a very bright woman. She handed him their passports. "Give me a few minutes and then we will have one of our officers escort you to the hotel and ensure you are not given any problem about the passports."

"Before you leave, may we have a signed document as proof that you are holding our passports and that they will be returned once the investigation has proven we are not involved?" Sheldon asked. He didn't like them leaving their passports with anyone, not even Scotland Yard.

"Of course, I can make sure to give you a signed document that I have the passports in my possession." The captain got up and walked out of the room. He returned and handed them an officially signed document stating that he was in possession of their passports. "Please wait a few moments longer as we make the arrangements locally for your stay." He then exited the room.

"Stay? He acts like we are here on vacation or something" Sheldon cried in annoyance, throwing up his hands at the same time.

"Well we will make it enjoyable. We have each other and that is all that matters" Amy reminded him. She smiled so sweetly that Sheldon melted. He nodded "Yes, you are right about that."

About 20 minutes later, after Sheldon fidgeted and grumped around, an officer came in and introduced himself as Nigel Wilkes and said he would be escorting them to their hotel.

Entering the St. Ermins Hotel, which was technically across the street from Scotland Yard, they checked in without any difficulty and were shown the honeymoon suite. The officer then remained outside of their room. "I'm sorry, just following orders. I promise to try and let you have your privacy."

Closing the door, Sheldon whined "I can't believe this. This is an outrage. We are being treated like criminals and all we did was witness a near hijacking."

"Look at this suite, Sheldon. It is lovely. Let's not think about that. Let's try and get some rest. We both need it. We can get back up and share a dinner and go to bed early tonight. I am sure we will feel much better" Amy persuaded. She had a knack of how to get Sheldon to calm and to realize her viewpoint was the right viewpoint.

"You are right. We are tired. But when we feel better, either tonight or tomorrow, we will begin some of our own investigation" Sheldon said.

"So you go to Scotland Yard for a few hours and now you think you are Sherlock Holmes?" Amy teased.

"Yes, and probably better since I am smarter than him. My IQ is higher than his, so just think about what we can do" Sheldon reminded Amy, winking.

Amy giggled and said, "So does that make me Dr. Watson?"

"Well, you may be my partner in solving crimes, but you are definitely Dr. Cooper and don't forget it" Sheldon said, walking over and taking her in his arms before planting a big kiss. Sheldon began to deepen their kiss and start to remove some of his clothing at the same time. He then danced her over to the huge king-sized bed in the adjacent room, removing some of her clothing at the same time. Within minutes, they were under the sheets in the throes of passionate lovemaking. Once they had both been satisfied, they rested in each other's arms for a few minutes before Sheldon said "I didn't even think I had the energy even though the desire was there. I hope it wasn't too off-putting."

"Oh cuddles, it was wonderful. You never disappoint, but always surprise me with your superior technique" Amy smiled and kissed his nose. They lay in each other's arms and within minutes were fast asleep.

Nearly 5 PM, Sheldon woke up and looked over to see his beautiful wife. He stroked her hair and pulled her close to him, cuddling her. His fingers trailed over her breasts, bringing the nipples to full erection. She stirred from the arousal and woke up. Looking up at her husband and watching him play with her breasts, she smiled and pulled him into a kiss. Her hands played with his hair and then began to travel further south. She eventually took hold of his erection and began to fondle him with pleasure. He grew even longer and harder under her touch. She began to kiss his neck, his collar bone and moved further down his body and took his full erection in her mouth. She teased and played with him orally for a while, taking up to a point and then pulling back, driving him crazy. Finally, she was too aroused and needed some satisfaction herself. She climbed over him and sat up, guiding his erection directly inside of her. As she moved, Sheldon played with her breasts and leaned up to fondle them with his mouth. He took one hand and began to let it slowly trail down her midsection straight to her pubic bone. The teasing of his fingers trailing over torso her drove her wild, while he continued to suck on her breasts and play with the other breast with the free hand. He moved his mouth back up to hers and they shared a passionate and deep kiss as she was moving rhythmically with him. She finally laid on top of him and squeezed her buttocks to deepen the penetration. Sheldon was kissing her mouth, her neck, her nipples, back to her mouth. In between were moans and an occasional squeal that they both would let out. Then as they quickened the pace, neither could hold back. They came in unison, loudly letting out guttural sounds. It was pure ecstasy.

"I didn't hurt your back any, did I?" Sheldon finally asked, once they got their breathing back to normal.

"No, not at all. I am fully recovered, Sheldon. You don't need to treat me so delicately. I want everything back to the way it was" Amy said.

"Oh good. Yes, well I think we are making good progress getting there" he teased. They gazed at each other, doing what they do best, having great eye-coitus. Of course it was only leading to another round of sexual pleasure.

"Oh Amy, I have missed you so much" Sheldon said as he kissed her forehead and worked his way to her mouth. They kissed again and passionately. He squeezed her breast while he kissed her, delicately teasing the nipple. Drawing back from the kiss, as he felt her erect nipple, "you know I love these little ladies of yours"; he then kissed the tip of her nipple.

Amy giggled "I had an inkling you might have liked them." She began to kiss him again and grabbed his buttocks pulling his crotch next to hers. She loved feeling the muscles in his butt and squeezed the cheeks. He enjoyed her touching him now. He never dreamed he would not mind someone touching him, but with Amy, she could touch every molecule in his body and he would find it arousing and pleasurable.

Sheldon kissed her breasts lightly and squeezed the other one with his free hand. He began to grow in size and since he was laying on his side, facing Amy, she could feel the erection rubbing up against her pubic bone. She loved feeling him aroused. She moved her hand from his buttocks to his penis and began to softly play with the tip and with his length. His member twitched in her hand, enjoying the contact. Softly they continued to play with each other tenderly, sweetly and taking their time. They were in no hurry. They had waited for weeks for a time to be together, on their honeymoon, even if the location was different than expected.

An hour and a half later, they lay, trying to catch their breaths from the passionate climax that came from their tender lovemaking. It was now 6:30 PM and Sheldon's stomach began to roar. Amy started to giggle and could not stop. She found it so hilarious for some reason.

"Humph, I never laugh when you are hungry" Sheldon pretended to pout, as he tried to take in deep breaths to get back to normal breathing.

"I'm sorry and you are so right. I just love hearing all sounds from you, even those that others might find less pleasant" she pulled him tight. "You are just so darn sexy all the time, even when you have a growling tummy."

"Is that right? Well, perhaps we should get my quote sexy unquote body in the shower so we can think about dinner."

"Yes, go ahead and shower. I will see if they have room service."

"Room service? You don't want to go out on the town?" Sheldon was a bit surprised.

"Not really, not with our friendly escort" Amy said pointing toward the door to the room.

"Oh right, I put him out of my mind and had not considered him."

"Perhaps I should ask if he wants anything ordered before placing our order?" Amy posed.

"No, I am sure the department will be sending a relief. Plus, there is no way I am allowing another man to see my wife looking so hot with your fully unclothed body."

"I was going to cover up, you realize?" Amy said, giving him a look of faux-annoyance.

"Yes, but still, you are hot and sexy all the time. And you are mine. I know how you women like British accents. I just have to keep you remembering you have a man with a Texas accent, Texas manners, and a Texas appetite for his wife" Sheldon teased.

"I will take your Texan ways over any other accent in the world, but you are right about British accents. We women love them. Another reason I like Benedict Cumberbatch in Sherlock" Amy teased.

"Oh please, he just plays a part. The guy probably isn't that bright" Sheldon reminded her.

"I know he is an actor, but he is actually rather brilliant in his own right and yes, he can't hold a candle to you. So you need not worry." Amy gave him a quick peck and smacked his behind and said, "go shower and I will think about what to eat."

"Would you rather shower first? I can look at the menu. Ladies first" Sheldon suddenly realized he needed to call Angus and let him know what happened and why they were not in Scotland.

"Are you sure? You usually like to get residue off from our escapades" Amy reminded.

"I know, but I am curious what nice little number you are going to come out of the shower wearing" Sheldon teased, raising his eyebrows at the same time.

"Well, let me see, now that you mention it…." Amy began to look around. "We still don't have our bags. I only brought one change of clothes on the plane with me in our carry on other than my formal wear."

"Same here. Did you pack any sleepwear?"

"Not really. I figured we would likely be out of clothes more than in clothes our first night" Amy snickered.

"Yes, you definitely were reading my mind. I didn't bring any pajamas either."

Amy looked in the bathroom and noticed there were some beautiful terry cloth robes. If they wore the robes that evening, they could save the one outfit they each had for the next day until their luggage arrived.

"There are some robes in here. I think I will shower and just slip that on" Amy shared.

"Oh, good idea. That way we can keep the one change of clothes we have for the morning."

"Yes. Well I will shower and you order our food. I will try to save you some hot water but can't guarantee anything. I just want to take my time," Amy announced.

"Take your time. Don't worry. I will be fine. Do you have a meal preference?"

"No not really, surprise me. You know what things I like."

Amy then went into the bathroom, turned on the shower and shut the door. She crawled into the shower and let the hot water penetrate her skin and beat out sore muscles, stress, and bring about relaxation and peace.

Sheldon immediately called room service first because he wanted to make sure to not forget to order. Once the order was placed, he then placed a call to Angus and quickly explained what happened and why they were delayed in getting to Scotland. Angus had seen a clip on the news about the hijacking and since he had not heard from them had suspected that they were detained. He had been very concerned about their welfare. Claiming he would call some contacts he had at Scotland Yard, he would call some of his contacts at Scotland yard to see if he could help clear them faster. After thanking him, Sheldon disconnected and tossed on his dirty clothing to go to the door.

"Excuse me. I just wanted to inform you that we are expecting room service to arrive. Also, can you check with your superiors and see if they can let us know when we might be able to get our luggage sent here? We only have formal wear in our carry-on bags, other than one change of clothes. After tomorrow, it will start to be an issue."

"Yes, Dr. Cooper." The man outside the room looked at Sheldon and tried to keep from staring at his hair which was going every direction. He knew the couple were on their honeymoon so smirked thinking about what wild activity they may be up to inside. "By the way, Nigel is off duty now. I am James Williams. I am taking over watch."

"Thank you Mr. Williams. We will be staying in tonight and enjoying room service. Is there anything we can get you?" Sheldon offered.

"No, I am fine. Thank you for asking though. I have never had anyone do that before."

"Really? I am originally from Texas and it is proper protocol in Texas to ask if anyone would like a beverage or anything. I can't imagine not making such an offer" Sheldon shrugged.

"I think I might like your State…Texas. That is nice that they teach you manners." He continued to look at Sheldon's hair and smirk.

"Well I don't live there any longer. My wife and I live in California, but we do visit there often. Yes, manners are important. Well goodnight and if you need anything, just knock. We will be retiring early because of our jetlag."

"Thank you, Dr. Cooper. Have a pleasant evening. I will let you know when the food has arrived." As soon as the door shut, Williams laughed, holding his stomach. He had a hard time containing it. "Definitely getting lucky, that one!"

Amy came out and watched Sheldon, combing her wet strands and smiling at his gentleman like behavior. She snickered to herself at his wild hair. It was going every direction and he had no idea. She had caught the tail end of the conversation between Williams and Sheldon and was impressed with his kindness. It touched her to see that he could be so sweet and thoughtful, something that doesn't always show others, but that she benefits seeing a lot.

"Cuddles, the shower is all yours. I am squeaky clean now" she smiled.

"Oh good. I really am feeling icky from not showering. You realize it has been over 24 hours since I last showered and that is gross."

"Yes, I know and I promise I saved you some hot water." She swatted his behind as he walked by, forcing him to turn and say "Hey! Keep that up woman and you just might get a licking of your own" he teased.

It reminded her of the time he punished her with a spanking. "Promise?" she said with enthusiasm.

"We shall see. Personally, I prefer not to spank you. I am still too freaked out about hurting your back" Sheldon finally admitted.

"Oh, well I guess I can understand that, but you won't hurt it. However, I promise to be good."

With that, Sheldon shut the bathroom door and began his shower. While he was in the shower, a knock on the door interrupted Amy's thoughts.

"Yes?" She said before opening it. After Ramona, she learned to be quite skittish when someone knocked and she wasn't sure who it would be.

"Dr. Cooper? This is James Williams. Your room service cart and waiter are here with your dinner."

"Oh, yes, thank you" she said before opening the door. "Sorry to be so careful, but after being shot by a lunatic, you can imagine my nerves about not knowing who might be on the other side of a door."

"Yes, it is wise to check first, Dr. Cooper." Williams moved out of the way so the waiter and cart could enter. After Amy signed the slip, the waiter left the room. "Is it weird having both of you be called Dr. Cooper?" Williams asked before she shut the door.

"Not really. At first it was strange because my last name was Fowler my whole life, but being a Cooper has been my favorite set of memories so far, so no, it isn't hard. It may be strange when we are first introduced as Dr. and Dr. Cooper," Amy giggled.

"Right. Well enjoy your meal and evening."

"Thank you. Are you sure we can't get you anything? Would you like a bottled water or anything?"

"No Ma'am. I am fine. Thank you for your kindness though. By the way, I don't know when your bags will arrive. I checked with the office and no one seems to know yet."

"Okay. Well goodnight. I guess by the time I wake up in the morning someone else will be on duty."

"Yes, Nigel will be back on duty then."

"Ok, goodnight and thank you."

Amy shut the door and went over to the cart to see what Sheldon had ordered them. As if on cue, Sheldon opened the bathroom door and came out shaking the excess water out of his hair.

Amy giggled at the action "you are like a puppy shaking water off his fur."

"I beg your pardon, I am much smarter than a puppy and while loyal like dogs can be, I definitely am smarter. I suppose they are cute though."

"Yes, but you are smarter and cuter, so now come here and enjoy your dinner, Fido" Amy teased.


	56. Chapter 56: The Faisal Connection

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

After sharing their dinner, which was really more playing with their food, Sheldon and Amy looked at the messy cart. "I guess it is going to take some getting used to the food here. That had to be the blandest and most boring food ever. I guess a doggy bag won't be needed" Sheldon continued to frown at the cart, while still making more dog jokes.

"Well it is well known that while in England you stick to Indian food, Italian food or Moroccan food because the rest is pretty wretched. It appears that even you, Fido, wouldn't eat it and if not fit for a dog then not fit for human consumption" Amy laughed.

"I wish you had given me that advice before I ordered. Let's just hope that we don't have to stay here another night" Sheldon whined. "I think I will order desert, or do they butcher that as well?"

"No, desert should be safe to order." Amy struggled against laughing out loud because she didn't want to hurt his feelings, but when she looked over he was chuckling quietly himself so she joined him in laughter. She loved it when he was so child-like at times. It reminded her of when they first dated and how he would want his way, yet now he knew how to laugh at his toddler-ways.

"Do you want anything? Let's see, they have a chocolate cake, a torte, strawberries and cream…although I bet those are frozen strawberries this time of year…ice cream, oh and sundaes. I love sundaes" Sheldon said, practically jumping up and down.

"A sundae does sound good. Why not get us both a sundae each, and can you order us some tea?"

"Sure". Sheldon picked up the phone and placed the order. He then asked Amy to cover up well because he was going to take the cart back to the door. Knocking three times, "Mr. Williams" and repeating the triplet twice more, Williams opened up the door.

"Yes, Dr. Cooper?"

"We just want to return this cart. We have a desert cart coming" Sheldon informed. Williams studied the cart and said "You didn't like your meal?"

"Um…no I can't say it was the best food I have ever had" Sheldon finally admitted.

"Yes, I suppose if you don't grow up in the UK, the food may be hard to get used to" Williams seemed to know that Americans liked food that was much spicier. "I recommend going with Italian next time." He smiled and took the cart.

"Thank you. Let us know when the desert is here because it will melt quickly" Sheldon said before he closed the door again.

Within moments the desert cart arrived and Williams stepped aside as the waiter brought it in. Signing for the sundaes, Sheldon licked his lips. The sundaes also had little Pirouette wafer cookies, filled with chocolate that poked out the side of the sundaes, creating an interesting design.

The waiter and Williams departed. Amy and Sheldon dug in and enjoyed their sundaes. Lucky for them, they were larger than average and along with the cookies, made up for the poor dinners they had previously wheeled away.

Amy pushed the cart toward the door and left it just inside. Sheldon then took over and informed Williams they were done. The cart was removed from the room and the door closed and locked for the night.

"Amy, I think before we head to bed, we should begin to put together a plan on what we can learn to help get all this business over with so we can head on to our next destination" Sheldon suggested.

"I agree, but can you finally let me know where we were supposed to be going?" Amy's curiosity was getting the better of her.

"Fine, I guess the surprise was spoiled by the hijacking anyway, "Sheldon bowed his head frustrated that all his planning had been tossed out the door the moment that the flight attendants brought Celia forward. "We were heading to Scotland. We were going to stay with your grandfather, in our own wing of his estate and you were going to meet all of your relatives. I had planned this well before our ceremony, even before inviting Angus to be a part of the ceremony."

"Sheldon, I don't know what to say. That is so sweet and how did you know that it would mean so much to me?" Amy said. "I feel like walking the halls of the home my mother used to walk will make me closer to her. It was very thoughtful and I am sure we will still be able to get there."

"I hope so. I really hope this nonsense is over quickly," Sheldon was already setting up his laptop. "So let's go over what the questions we were asked and what they can reveal. What did you observe and what do you think their theory is?"

Amy and Sheldon spent a couple of hours going over all kinds of scenarios, recalled all the of the questions they had been asked, and came up with a plan as well as several contingency plans for backup. They began to do research based on their plan. First, they wanted to investigate what they could about Faisal. Amy could easily learn information about him as he had her as a friend on his Facebook. They studied page after page and photo after photo to see if they could learn anything that might help.

"Sheldon look, here is a recent wedding photo. Look at the woman's face. She is covered up considerably, but look at the eyes" Amy pointed to a photo.

"Jeepers, she gives me the creeps" Sheldon immediately replied when he looked at the photo. "Do you think that is Celia?"

"Well given we know that Ramona is in prison in the States, yes. I think that is her. So was that her boyfriend on the plane or was that a bodyguard?" Amy began to recall the man being pulled into the bathroom by the male flight attendants and locked into the bathroom.

"I guess I had not really considered it one way or another. I have to admit I was rather frightened when I saw she was wired up with a bomb on her, so I wasn't so focused on him" Sheldon replied.

"The more I contemplate the scene; I think it wasn't a boyfriend. There was nothing between them that appeared romantic in nature. If anything, he seemed he was there more to keep watch over her" Amy pondered. "Funny at the time I assumed he was a boyfriend, but didn't really have anything to base that on other than he was with her. Now though, as I recall his gestures, body language, eye contact and so forth, I think he was there to protect her."

"Yes, now that you mention it, he did seem more like a watchman than a man who was interested in her romantically, not that I am the best to judge such matters" Sheldon shrugged. "He wasn't terribly effective with his job. He actually seemed to not mind that much and didn't put a big struggle up when the attendants took hold of him and placed him in the airline toilet."

"Yes, you are right. He didn't put up much of a fight. I find that interesting, don't you?" Amy pondered.

"Yes, it is intriguing. He is hired to watch over her, yet didn't seem to care that she was caught with a very serious set of charges against her" Sheldon concurred. Both sat, trying to process the information they just discussed.

"Faisal did say he just recently married. Perhaps he provided the bodyguard? Another thing of interest…he seemed relieved to be free of having anything with my name on it, yet was still interested in funding my lab" Amy said.

"Interesting. So your theory is that he wanted to fund you without his new wife's knowledge?"

"Yes. I believe so. But if that was the case, why would it matter if his new wife had known who I was, unless…"

"Unless he knew that she had badmouthed you or said something that led him to know that she was angry with you?"

"Perhaps, or even you…because I took your name" Amy was deep in thought.

"How could a woman marry a man knowing he has four other wives? I could never have stood it if I knew you had other husbands. I want you to myself and only me" Sheldon shuddered at the thought.

"I don't understand it myself, Sheldon. It is just how they grew up in their society, but how Celia would tolerate it is intriguing. It makes me wonder if she really is in love with Faisal or just likes the prestige, power, and status she can gain from him" Amy said. "It certainly would be in keeping with something Ramona would do."

"Yes, I see the pattern. Both seem to be hungry for title and prestige" Sheldon admitted.

"Perhaps we should research Celia and Ramona more. I am curious why both are so determined to gain power and status through others' achievements rather than their own" Amy said.

"All right. Let's begin looking at them." Sheldon began to pull up page after page of information. Most of the recent information had been about Ramona's arrest and sentencing. Celia had a few posts about her recent marriage to Prince Faisal, but very few of the articles had been translated into English. Most were in Arabic. None of the sites told them much about the women and their backgrounds.

"Do you think you can get any information from the University?" Amy was suggested.

"Ah, good idea. Let's see, it is the morning in California, right?" Sheldon verified.

"Yes, it is morning there. Everyone should be at work, or perhaps on their way there" Amy replied.

"Exactly. Let me Skype Wolowitz. He is good with breaking into University files and given our situation here, I don't want to compromise ourselves by doing it myself, even though I am perfectly capable of carrying on such matters. In this case, however, I think using resources elsewhere to do some leg work might be wise" Sheldon suggested.

"I concur" Amy replied.

Sheldon Skyped Howard and told him what they wanted and what had transpired.

"Seriously, you were hijacked?" Howard always went for the sensationalism first. "I saw news on a hijacking but admit I didn't pay much attention at the time. So that was your plane?"

"Yes and we are in London instead of Scotland. In fact we are under house arrest right now by Scotland Yard. There is a guard right outside of our door" Sheldon explained.

"Why? Why did they put you guys under watch? I mean I know you can be a bit crazy at times Sheldon, so what did you do?"

"I didn't do anything." Sheldon was getting annoyed.

"Howard, Sheldon and I are being held because of Ramona. The woman who was carried off of the plane as a suspect is related to Ramona. She looks like a twin. Because of our recent problems with Ramona, they wanted to make sure that we were not involved. So they have us being watched as well," Amy interrupted, hoping to calm Sheldon down and get Howard some background information he would need.

"Thus, the reason for our call, Wolowitz. We need you to find out anything you can about Ramona, her relationship to this woman named Celia, any background information on both. See if you can find out where they grew up, what was their home-life like, and anything that will tell us how they both ended up so unbalanced," Sheldon continued.

"Howard, also, you should know, that Celia, the woman in question, has recently married Prince Faisal, who backs my research projects at UCLA. See if you can find out anything about that association as well. Likewise, if possible, can I impose upon you to research out the Prince a little further? I want to see if he has any terrorist connections. If so, we will need to know that immediately," Amy interjected. She really was starting to worry about her association with Faisal and wondered whether she should encourage her department chair to turn down the offer of any further funding from him.

"Wow, I still can't get over this all went down" Howard said. He was gobsmacked with their news. "So much for hot sex; which is what your honeymoon should be about."

"Wolowitz, focus. What we do in the bedroom is between Amy and myself and for your information, we have found ways to make up for the unwelcomed hospitality from Scotland Yard," Sheldon wasn't about to let him know everything, but also wanted him to know that he is capable of intimacy with his wife. He knew that Howard was more in doubt that Sheldon would ever have sex period, even if married.

"So you guys are no longer virgins?" Howard asked bluntly.

"You can check that well off of your list" was all Sheldon would reveal. "Now please focus on this information before our entire honeymoon is ruined by having to solve this case. The sooner we can prove ourselves unrelated and cooperating with them, the more likely we can get on to Scotland and honeymoon activities."

"All right. So I will look into Ramona and, did you say Celia? I will also see what I can find out about the Prince" Howard agreed.

"Yes Celia. All right. I will check back with you in the morning our time, which will be evening yours to see what you learned. We still have a lot of sleep to catch up on since we spent a good deal of the time in custody immediately after flying all night" Sheldon commanded.

"All right. So in about 8 or 9 hours then?" Howard checked his watch.

"Yes, and good luck. Goodnight or good day your time " Sheldon replied. "Goodbye, Howard and send my love to Bernadette" Amy chimed in before they disconnected.

"Before we sleep, Amy, I think we should document everything we can remember from the plane. I know my memory will recall it, but I want to get it down and then we can perhaps place it on a timeline of some sort" Sheldon suggested. Sheldon's memory did come in handy. He recalled all kinds of detail. They drew the cabin of the plane and actually drew out locations of individuals during various moments on the plane. Both of them recalled various details about clothing, accessories, anything unique on them (birthmarks, tattoos, piercings), color of hair, etc. They also recalled motions of hands, body language, etc. Putting down some additional thoughts and theories, they finally decided to call it a night so that they could get up at a reasonably early hour and touch base with Howard.

Brushing their teeth, they crawled into bed and back into each other's arms. "Sheldon, do you think we can convince Scotland Yard we are innocent?"

"Yes, but I have a theory. I am not so certain they suspect us as much as they must believe they are protecting us. I honestly think they know we are not involved. I am sure they have by now done a very thorough investigation on our backgrounds and know that we are innocent. Amy, I am wondering if the Prince does have terrorist associations and if not, perhaps Celia does. Both Ramona and Celia seem to seek out power and sometimes with that can come some pretty shady associations. Or, perhaps she is trying to avenge her sister's arrest" Sheldon theorized.

"You may be right. Did we ever look at what kind of work Celia did for a living when we were looking at her data tonight? I don't recall seeing anything" Amy just realized that what training Celia had could be a clue.

"I am hoping more of that will come from Howard's investigation. I have my thoughts, just based on a few of the articles that we flipped through tonight. None showed her training or education, but they mentioned some names of individuals with whom she has been associated that I believe she may be a petrochemical engineer. If that is the case, she could have met the Prince through oil dealings" Sheldon shared.

"Interesting. Remember that book you purchased me in Texas that was on Scotland?" Amy looked up at her husband.

"Yes, what about it?"

"I don't know if you read it, but I was reading it one day and found out that Aberdeen, Scotland houses the North Sea operations headquarters for British Petroleum and London is where their overall headquarters are located. If Celia is a petrochemical engineer, perhaps she has some ties to BP" Amy suggested.

"Fascinating, you never cease to amaze me with your brilliant mind" Sheldon kissed the top of her head. "You may be on to something. Certainly when we talk to Wolowitz in the morning, we can suggest he look further into a possible association with BP or any oil company for that matter, if he doesn't run across that information on his own." Sheldon was rubbing Amy's arm in deep thought about the situation when his hand brushed her breast. That was all it took for him to switch mindsets.

"Between your brilliant mind and your sexy body, I don't know what turns me on more" Sheldon said as he leaned down to pull her into a passionate kiss. Drawing apart, they began to explore each other's body again, never tiring of the adventure.

"Oh gosh Sheldon, I wish we were not under house arrest. You know what would be such a turn-on, besides you?" Amy looked up her eyes delighted at the mere thought.

"What?"

"Making love in a Tardis-style phone booth and there are a lot of those around this town" Amy said. "I remember Leonard and Penny coming out of the Tardis replica at Stuart's Halloween party that one time, and it was clear what they had been doing. I always thought that was a turn-on and something I wanted us to be able to do."

"Woman, you really do know how to add to the excitement" Sheldon said, loving her idea. Both suddenly realized that they would have to keep that for another time because currently they were in no position to do true public displays of such affection. The mere thought was more than either could handle, so they pretended they were in one of the phone booths, acting it out in the room. Sheldon placed Amy against the wall and together they made up where the walls of the booth would be and went for it. Nearly an hour later, both finally yelled out in climax, louder than either had wanted, yet somehow their cries just added to the thrill.

Suddenly there was a knock on the door from Williams "Are you all right in there? I thought I heard a scream." Thank goodness he didn't open the door but Amy, while still trying to catch her breath, began to giggle, causing her to hyperventilate. Sheldon tried to catch his breath, but also was fighting back laughter. He finally managed to yell out a lie, "We're fine. My wife just stubbed her toe on a piece of furniture." The two then burst out laughing so hard that they literally fell to the floor and rolled around together.

Finally catching his breath, Sheldon said "woman, you realize we are going to have to shower again. This floor is full of who knows what kind of microbes and germs" he smiled.

"I have no aversion to lathering you up" Amy teased, winking at him. They took a moment to look and immediately both jumped up and raced to the shower. Inside the shower, needless to say they spent more time "dirtying up" than cleaning up. Finally totally spent from so many climaxes, they lathered each other up, rinsed and stepped out to dry.

"I think I am ready for a good long sleep" Sheldon yawned. "You really know how to wear out a guy."

"Yes, I am with you on needing sleep. You know how to wear out a woman as well" she said as she padded over to the bed and crawled inside. They turned out the lights and cuddled, falling asleep within moments.

The next morning came far too soon for them through the loud shrill of the phone ringing. Sheldon had put it on full volume because he wanted to make sure the alarm woke him up. He immediately rose up and said "danger, danger" before getting his bearings. Once he realized his phone was ringing, he looked and saw it was Howard.

"Wolowitz, what do you have for me?" Sheldon answered, foregoing any formalities and civilities. Amy stirred at the sound of Sheldon's voice and opened her eyes. She saw him on the phone. He turned and mouthed to her "Wolowitz". She nodded and immediately sat up, while Sheldon switched his phone to speaker-mode.

"Celia is a twin sister of Ramona's. Both grew up as army brats, moving all over the place. Their parents divorced when they were 11 and the girls went to live with an Uncle. Their mother was incarcerated for drug dealing and sex trading. Their father was dishonorably discharged for gun-running. Both are still serving time from what I can tell. The Uncle spends more time serving for DUIs than being at home. He appears to not be as criminally minded, but definitely is a drunk" Howard took a breath before continuing.

"Celia and Ramona both worked all kinds of odd jobs, and it is unclear, but perhaps turned tricks to gain enough funds to get through college. Sadly, both were rather smart girls, but had a whole lot of ugly past to get through. Both have degrees. Ramona's is in physics and Celia's in chemistry. Celia went on to study petrochemical engineering and just was awarded a PhD in the field this past May. Ramona never finished her PhD and she was hired on to teach at a high school for a while until she was fired for getting too close to a student from a wealthier family. She then got the job somehow at UCLA and you know the rest about her."

"Does it say whether or not Celia has been hired on by any oil companies?" Sheldon inquired.

"Yes, Celia worked briefly at British Petroleum, but was fired for insubordination it says, but there was also a private document that was encrypted and booby trapped that I could not get into because I kept getting interruptions by Siebert today. He is all over my case today because NASA had a tight deadline for the robotic rover they want to launch. They needed my help on a few things that distracted me from continuing to break into the file."

"That's quite all right, Howard, you still gave us a lot of information," Amy interrupted. "Did you have any chance to look into Faisal?"

"Yes, he definitely has many ties to OPEC and oil companies and execs associated with those companies. But he also is part of the Muslim Brotherhood. I would have to say, he would definitely be one to watch. His membership took some tracking. He has it buried deep within many layers of names. But I finally found the connection. On the surface, no one would have found the association. I am sure that is because of his status as Prince and because of the international implications, but after following a number of front-companies he owns and various names he goes by, I was able to track him to the organization. He uses Faisal publically, but he used one of his son's names or his given name to make the connection. Faisal isn't his given name, but a name he was given when he became Prince."

"What about the marriage between Celia and Faisal…anything there?" Sheldon asked.

"There were some legal agreements made in Saudi. She is to bear him at least two children and she is to remain connected to oil companies and help achieve his goals associated with those companies. It didn't specify what the goals were, but you can do the math. I think he is using her to do some "dirty work" on his behalf and keep his name clean. She gets the title of Princess, but no diplomacy with the title. She does get a fair amount of cash as well as many other gifts, including jewels, cars, and two homes, one in Riyadh and one in the United States, still to be specified."

"Good work, Howard! I am impressed. So you said Celia gets no diplomacy, does that mean if she is in trouble, that the Prince and his nation will not do anything to help her?" Sheldon wasn't sure what that meant. Shrugging he looked over at Amy who was mirroring his gesture.

"No, she gets no protection other than one guard and she gets no legal help. She is on her own if she gets in any trouble," Howard elaborated.

"Interesting….I am surprised she would be willing to settle for such terms" Amy interrupted. "As a woman, I know I would never have agreed to something that weak. So was the cash substantial? Is that why she felt it was a decent gamble?"

"Yes, besides the houses, cars, jewels, she was to receive over $10 Million and have a monthly stipend of $5,000 for the rest of her life" Howard stated.

"Even if she were incarcerated, say in the UK or the States?" Amy asked.

"If she legally puts herself into a situation where she is incarcerated or is accused of an international crime of any sort, then the contract is considered null and void. She would be immediately divorced without her consent being required, and she would be on her own, losing everything in the contract" Howard said.

"Good Lord, this woman must have been crazy to have risked trying to blow up a plane, knowing what was at risk" Sheldon exclaimed.

"Yes…b-b-b-u-u-t, according to the agreement if she attempts a suicide bombing on behalf of the Prince, to achieve any of his goals, then it gets a little muddier as to whether the contract is nullified. That was still unclear to me when I read it" Howard explained.

"So are you saying that because she tried to blow up the plane, if it were for reasons to achieve Faisal's goals, even if it was a failed bombing, that she still gets all the goodies?" Amy asked. "Could some of his goals be for terrorist purposes?"

"I am not sure, and yes I think they could be for the Brotherhood. What would happen to her? I think it would depend on whether she implicated him in any way. If she does, then immediately the contract is nullified. However, if she does not implicate him, or if he is not discovered as being involved by those investigating her crime, then she still gets the goodies, as you called them."

"Sheldon, don't you think that by her mentioning him last night that is indirectly implicating him?" Amy suggested.

"Yes, but is she smart enough to know she did implicate him? I doubt it. I mean she is intelligent, but she was emotionally charged so perhaps she had no idea what she did at the time" Sheldon admitted. "I think her emotions clouded her thinking."

"Howard, do you think there is anything further that you can learn if you kept poking around?" Amy asked.

"What specifically do you think you need to me to find?" Howard was curious.

"See if she had any associations that were perhaps boyfriends up until she married Faisal or has she registered with any parties that could be construed as associated with terrorists, things like that; fringe information on her" Amy suggested. "If she did have a boyfriend…check him out as well to see what his associations have been…his education, background, things like that. Also see if Celia or Ramona had any prior records and what for what charges."

"Ah, I see what you are getting at. Sure, I will keep digging. Shall we speak again this morning my time? I can look a lot more tonight since I won't get the interruptions from work."

"Yes, that sounds good. We will call you this evening our time, morning your time" Sheldon agreed. "Thank you and make sure to keep this whole conversation and research just between you and ourselves."

"Yes, Howard, it is critical at this point to keep this top secret" Amy agreed. "Thank you for all you have done. You did an excellent job!"

"No problem. It won't go past the three of us. Well I have to get back to NASA's problem. I will talk to you in the morning. I hope you can get to Scotland soon."

"Thank you, we do as well. Good evening to you." Sheldon said "Thank you Howard and send my love to Bernadette. Goodnight." Amy added. They disconnected and began processing all that they had been told.


	57. Chapter 57: The James Bond Experience

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_A/N: Melissa thank you for your kind words about the story and I am sorry if I offended anyone in the UK about the food. Just know that Sheldon and Amy are not used to food in the UK and like very spicy foods. It is just their opinions. But thanks and I stand corrected._

"Sheldon, I feel like we have a bunch of pieces laid across the table to a puzzle and some are already fitting together, yet I can't quite make out the full picture yet" Amy finally broke the silence.

"I know what you mean. There is a lot of information that Howard gave us. I think I will email him and ask him to summarize it all in an message to me so we don't miss out on any detail" Sheldon recommended. He walked over to his laptop and set it up. Once it boot he brought up his email browser and began to construct a quick message to Howard asking for the information he gave them to be put in an email so they didn't miss any details. He also felt Howard might elaborate more in writing than over the phone.

"I think we can understand how the girls became so troubled. They came from a home-life that wasn't ideal, but I wonder if they were subjected to more horrors when they were younger" Amy pondered. "Their behavior and their need for justification of who they are seems like they could have been traumatized early in life. They have no sense of boundaries or ethics either."

"I concur. They seem to have a very unhealthy need to justify themselves, and don't seem like they want to do it with blood, sweat, and tears like the rest of us who work hard to achieve goals" Sheldon agreed.

"Well, they have a twisted blood, sweat, and tears, approach, but it is a fruitless one. Sure they might have quicker results but they are not long-lasting results. It reminds me of a seed that brings up a shoot and then withers because it is on a rock instead of in soil. It does make me wonder how they were able to get as far as they did in school. Could they have cheated? Celia managed to be awarded a doctorate. That does take effort as we both know. So did she cheat, or did she actually buckle down and do the work? I know both girls are clever, but do they have the actual foundation for educational achievements?" Amy pondered.

"Well Ramona seemed fairly intelligent, but then again, she may have been acting. If she had someone feeding her a language behind the scenes, or if she had something that she leveraged, then she might not be as intelligent as I had assumed. She wasn't in my class long enough to have achieved any of the work" Sheldon continued to consider.

Both of them sat for a few moments still processing everything. Sheldon looked over at Amy and the sunlight was shining on her through the window. Her hair was glowing from the light and he could not help but be captivated by the beauty before him. Scooting closer to her, he drew her into his arms and began to softly kiss her. "You looked so beautiful that I couldn't help myself" he said as he drew back slightly before leaning in for a second kiss. He became more passionate in the second kiss, hungry for her. She responded in concert with him. Drawing the tie from her robe open, he began to fondle her breasts, causing her to arch in arousal.

He laid her down on the bed and straddled her, his erection poking out of his robe. As she began to move the tie from his robe so that he could be next to her, there was a loud THUD, THUD, THUD at the door.

"Dr. Cooper, your bags have arrived" the voice behind the door yelled.

The couple sighed and moved their robes back in place over themselves. Amy got up and answered the door because Sheldon's erection was still a problem and given the robe was so loose, it was hard to keep it inside. She giggled as she caught another view before placing her hand on the door to open it. He ducked in the bathroom out of view.

"Good morning. My husband is in the restroom, so I will take the bags" Amy said.

"Good morning Dr. Cooper," Nigel greeted as he wheeled in both bags. "You will be hearing from the Captain shortly. I recommend dressing soon." He nodded and then closed the door behind him as he exited.

Amy was still staring at the door when Sheldon peeked around the corner to see if the coast was clear for him to come out. "Is something wrong?"

Turning to look at Sheldon Amy replied "No, not really. It was just a vibe I got. Nigel brought in the bags and said the Captain would be in touch shortly and recommended we dress soon. I just found it strange, as if and order or something and that he knows something or anticipates something."

"Yes, it is rather peculiar, but perhaps we should take his advice," Sheldon sighed as he came and wheeled his suitcase to a spot that he could open it and look inside. "So much for the pleasure I had in mind for both of us." He rummaged and pulled out some clean clothing. Before closing his case, he went around the room and gathered all of his dirty clothing that were still strewn about from the previous night. "I can't believe I didn't fold these and put them in order last night."

"You were rather busy" Amy snickered, looking up at him as she went around gathering her things as well. She selected an outfit and then brushed by him to beat him to the bathroom to change. "I call dibs."

"No fair! You really are a vixen, Amy Farrah Cooper!"

Both showered and changed into their fresh clothing, then finished re-packing things up. They were not sure why, but they felt that they may be released from the hotel that day, yet something wasn't setting well with them. They had just finished zipping up their bags when there was another knock on the door for Nigel.

"Dr. and Dr. Cooper, the Captain is here to see you."

"Good thing we dressed instead of had our sexual encounter we wanted" Amy whispered. Sheldon nodded, but the look on his face wasn't happy. He missed out on having intercourse with his wife and that put him in a less than perky mood.

Opening the door, Sheldon stepped aside to let the Captain inside. "Good morning to both of you. I have come to escort you back to the Yard. Please bring all your belongings with you. You will not remain here."

Sheldon looked over at Amy with a puzzled expression. She shrugged and said "Yes, just give us a minute to collect our belongings."

The captain did not budge. He just stood while they gathered up all their bags. "Nigel, please help the Coopers with their bags" the captain commanded. Nigel came in and relieved Amy from her bags. She took Sheldon's carry-on bag from him giving him a freer hand to wheel his other bag. They looked around the room one last time and then followed the captain out the door.

Once they were inside the captain's office he began to speak. "Have you by any chance turned on the news this morning?"

"No, we haven't turned on the television once since we arrived" Sheldon replied.

"Well then let me be the first to give you breaking news. Last evening, both in London and in Aberdeen, our officers were able to thwart a massive terrorist attack on British Petroleum facilities. Thankfully, because of the hijacking, we were able to uncover a clue from the accused's belongings that led us to the attempt before some serious damage could have been done."

Amy and Sheldon both gasped. "I had no idea. So you are saying that the woman in custody, Celia, was involved in this plot? Surely you don't suspect us?"

The captain avoided answering. He turned the conversation a different direction. "I can only tell you that at this point in time, we are more concerned about your safety. We have reason to believe that both of you are in severe danger right now." The captain buzzed his phone and told his secretary to send in the special agent.

Turning, Sheldon and Amy were curious who would be walking through the door. "Grandfather?" Amy was shocked to see Angus standing in front of her. Sheldon could not believe his eyes either. "Sir?"

Closing the door behind him, Angus looked over at Wallingsworth. The captain understood and excused himself. "I will let you three have a conversation and will return shortly." Before leaving the room, he handed Wallingsworth an envelope. He then left the room so that Angus could talk privately with Sheldon and Amy.

"My dears, I must inform you that my identity as an agent is top secret. Anything we discuss in this room must remain between the three of us and not revealed. Sheldon squirmed. He was terrible at keeping secrets and Amy looked over at him knowing he was concerned about his hatred of secrets. "Grandfather, Sheldon isn't very keen on secrets. But I am certain under these circumstances he would treat this as proprietary information for a special project and not a secret, right?" Amy nodded toward Sheldon for reassurance he would keep his mouth shut and would be able to maintain confidentiality.

"Yes, by all means. I won't think of this as a secret, but as proprietary data; part of a project I am working on in which I refuse to share with others so they get the glory," Sheldon was pleased with himself that he could come up with a way to mentally psych himself out of thinking that what was being shared was a secret.

"Good then, as Wallingsworth probably said, you have learned that I am a Special Agent with the Yard and with Interpol. I have the highest level of clearance possible and unimaginable resources available to me. All of my staff at my home are special agents with equivalent clearance. My home is one of the most secure places on earth, even more secure that your White House or our Palace." Angus paused to let that sink in. Once he felt they were ready for more he continued, "Due to the connections that you, my dear granddaughter, have with Prince Faisal and indirectly with his new wife, it is imperative that you two are well protected. Therefore, you will be moved to my estate today. However, it won't be a normal process."

"What do you mean by it won't be a normal process?" Sheldon was curious.

"My estate is likely being watched and therefore we have to smuggle, for lack of a better word, you into my compound. Captain Wallingsworth will first bring you down to a tunnel where Amy will be placed inside of an armored car. But, my dear, you will be placed in the boot instead of in the passenger seats. I will be in the back as a passenger, driven by my chauffer who is a special agent. This way it will appear that I just came home. There is a trap entrance from the main cabin of the vehicle to the boot that will be able to be kept open for much of the ride so that you get fresh air and can converse with me along the road. You will not disembark from the car until we are inside the garage and the doors are closed. Your luggage will go ahead of you on a delivery truck. Sheldon, I am sorry, but you will have to be on the delivery truck. You will be inside of a large crate, but it will have a panel that is removable and then can be put back in place in an instant. The panel is so you too can breathe and stretch out your legs while on the journey. It will be approximately a seven hour journey. Your bags are also going to be in boxes instead so that it is not obvious they are luggage. Once the crate is inside the building, you will be uncrated. I hope you are okay with this approach, but we had to deal with a way to get you inside without the possibility of long-range snipers making a hit."

Sheldon's eyes widened and he swallowed hard. He never expected for his honeymoon to turn into a James Bond movie. He knew that Ramona was a bit off, but this was serious and he was now realizing just how serious. "I don't like being separated from Amy, but I am glad to know she will be with you."

"Grandfather, is there a different way? I am not keen on being separated from my husband" Amy said, feeling a bit afraid.

"I am regretful to admit there really is not a better way" Angus knew it wasn't comfortable for any of them, but he also was well trained and everyone in his compound was as well. He felt it was a good plan.

"Who is driving the delivery truck?" Amy asked.

"Another agent. He is a close friend that I personally selected. He will be disguised."

Sheldon and Amy looked at each other and the fear they shared was clear. Swallowing hard, they shrugged and Sheldon finally asked "So when does this all take place?"

"In about five minutes. Sheldon, you will be transported from the tunnel in the boot of the first car that will arrive at a home furnishing warehouse. The delivery truck is there. The car will enter a garage at the warehouse and after the doors have been shut, you will be brought to an office where agents will be keeping you under guard. About two hours later, you will be crated up and then placed on a delivery truck. The reason for the delay and you having to be kept there is to keep suspicion down. We need to make it appear as if I was out and about and returned home, then a couple of hours later I receive a delivery."

"Oh boy." Sheldon was not caring for this plan one bit. He was about to start to hyperventilate, but then remembered Amy. Taking a deep breath he finally was able to ask, "Will I be able to call Amy or text her on my cell while I am crated up or waiting?" He really didn't like being separated from his wife.

"Good thing you asked. Yes, but not with your phones. You will not use your phones under any circumstance while overseas," Angus said. He held out his hand for them to place their phones in his custody. He then handed each of them a phone and each other's number. You may only be allowed to use these phones while here in the UK. These run on a special network and are not traceable other than with special Yard equipment. Anyone that is involved in this will not have access to trace these phones."

"Grandfather, we have Howard doing some research for us back home. Will we be able to use these phones to call him?" Amy was concerned that they may be restricted in use.

"You will be able to use the phones in my home for reaching anyone back in the United States. There is too much of a risk if you try to reach him using these phones or any other equipment" Angus replied.

"Is he in any danger?" Sheldon became worried for their friend.

"Now that I know he has been involved in helping you research things, we will place a call to the States to our counterparts in Intelligence and the FBI and make sure he is protected" Angus said. "It isn't likely, but given the instability of this situation will take all precautions."

Angus picked up the Captain's phone and made a call to make sure detail was put on Howard and decided to also add coverage for Bernadette, Leonard, Penny, Raj, Alex, and Stuart. He also asked for coverage for Mary, Missy, Mee-Maw and George. He asked that they not realize they were being covered to not arouse suspicion, but to mainly keep an eye out for any unusual activity.

Following the call, the bags were taken downstairs and boxed up. They were placed in the back of a van that was waiting to take them to the delivery warehouse where Sheldon would be held for a couple of hours and then crated up and placed on a delivery truck. Sheldon and Amy followed Angus downstairs. Sheldon was taking it all in, as was Amy. They were looking at their surroundings, observing the levels of security and getting a sense of the severity of their circumstance. Holding hands tight, they really didn't want to part.

"What about our passports, Grandfather? The Captain took our passports" Amy asked. Sheldon too looked at Angus in puzzlement.

Patting his briefcase, where he had placed the envelope he had been handed by the Captain earlier he said "They are safe with me. I will be hanging on to them while you are staying with me."

"Sheldon, I am sorry to have to ask you to do this, but you will need to crawl into the back of this vehicle. The ride to the warehouse is short, about 20 minutes tops." Angus pulled Sheldon into a hug and allowed him to hug and kiss Amy before crawling in. Once inside, he kept his eyes on Amy, giving her a small wave and just a hint of a smile, that never reached his eyes. His eyes were full of fear and sadness. He didn't like leaving her. While he trusted Angus and believed everything had been well executed, he still wasn't happy about the situation.

The boot of the car closed and the agent-driver got behind the wheel and started the vehicle. It was more of an everyday vehicle, nothing that would draw suspicion on a road, yet it was truly a James Bond worthy vehicle in every other way; fully bullet proof, fully loaded with all kinds of gadgetry to protect the occupants. The driver yelled back to Sheldon "I promise we will take every precaution to give you a safe journey to the compound." With that, they pulled away and began to exit from the tunnel remarkably through a garage of a normal residence. The car would never have been known to have been shielded below in underground tunnels. The house was a modest home that any normal citizen could have lived in. It backed out of the drive and integrated into traffic. Sheldon could hear the sound of normal traffic and decided to fight his desire to go into a full on panic attack. Instead, he wanted to use his hearing skills to observe everything he could along the adventure.

A second car pulled up inside the tunnel within Scotland Yard compound and Amy was placed in the boot. She rolled so that she could face toward the cabin of the car, desiring to remove the panel when she was instructed it was safe to do so and be able to be reassured by her grandfather. She worried about Sheldon. She knew he was probably in a full-on panic attack and was afraid for him. She herself was very afraid, but she knew she was stronger than him about how to handle fear.

Angus was seated in the back seat and the chauffer was in front. Again, the car was equipped worthy of James Bond. It was an upscale Bentley and was fully loaded. The engine started and they drove through a different arm of the tunnel which again took them into a garage, the back of the garage was a big door that opened up and closed behind when they were inside. The typical garage doors street-side, were opened and they exited from a garage from a very posh townhouse very close to the Palace. They integrated in with traffic and took a route to try and get to them to the A1 to head north to Broxburn. Weaving through traffic, it seemed like forever before Amy was finally given instruction she could open up the panel and get some air. She really was beginning to panic herself because of the tight quarters and the length of time it took before she was allowed the freedom.

"Grandfather, how much longer before we get there?" Amy asked through the panel opening.

Angus had a blue tooth on so that if anyone could see through the tinted windows at him, they would think he was talking on the phone. "My dear, just sit back and relax. We have a long drive still ahead. I would say approximately another six hours. While we left the Yard at around 7 AM, we should be in Broxburn around 1 or 2 this afternoon. Are you hungry?"

"A little, but I want to text Sheldon to see if he is okay more than anything" Amy said. She managed to find the phone that she had been given and the slip of paper with Sheldon's number on it. She typed in a text message and hit send.

Sheldon was still sitting inside of an office in the warehouse. He was in the middle of eating a breakfast they had brought him and it would be at least another hour before he would be placed in a crate and moved to the delivery truck to begin his long journey. His phone went off and he looked and smiled. He was glad to see Amy had sent him a text. He replied back that he was fine and eating breakfast. He then typed he would be there another hour before they began their journey on the road.

Amy's phone beeped that she had received a couple of text messages and looked and saw that Sheldon was doing well. He sounded like he wasn't panicking and that made her breathe easier. She typed in that she was finally able to have the panel open so she could breathe fresh air and type him messages. She was worried their batteries would not hold out though so suggested in a message they update each other hourly and keep their contact brief to prolong the battery life of their phones. She received a message back within moments that Sheldon agreed.

"Grandfather, I am a bit hungry. Is there a pastry or something that I might be able to have?"

"Yes dear, that is what this box is for; however, beverages are going to be more challenging for you. You are going to have to try and position yourself to allow for easier swallowing ability" Angus said, handing her a box that had a fruit cup, an apple Danish and four hard boiled eggs for protein.

Amy shuffled so that she could sit with her legs criss-cross, yet bending very low; it was easier for her to eat and take in a beverage. She chose to be careful with how much beverage she took in because making stops for bathroom breaks was orchestrated at certain secure locations along their journey. Once she had eaten, she maneuvered herself back down to a laying position. There was a pillow and a small blanket in the boot of the car. Covering herself with the blanket she decided sleeping was probably the best option. She kept the phone next to her and the open panel so that she continued to get fresh air flow. Once settled, she tried to drift off to sleep. She decided to think about Sheldon and how good of a husband he was to her. The pleasant thoughts and the lull of the car on the road were enough to help her fall into a slumber.

Sheldon had finished his breakfast and took his time in the bathroom. About 45 minutes since he last had texted Amy, he was escorted down to the warehouse floor to the back of a delivery truck. The agent explained to him how the panel on the crate worked and also how it would be approximately an hour before he would be able to remove the panel and get fresh air and stretch his legs. Air was being pumped in, however, so he didn't have to worry about suffocating. It was padded inside and it was going to be secured to the side of the truck so that it didn't move all over the back of the truck. There were already the boxes inside that contained their luggage. Sheldon sent a text to Amy letting her know "_I will not be available for about an hour before we get far enough that I can see the phone_, _but I am fine and I love you. I will text you then." _

Amy was woken by Sheldon's text. She smiled as soon as she heard the beep. She looked at the message and frowned slightly. Sending him back a message she said "_I love you and have a safe hour. I will try to sleep some more._"

Sheldon was placed inside the crate and it was secured. A dolly was placed in the back of the truck as well and secured. There were a few other faux-crates placed in back to appear like other deliveries had to be made when they arrived at their destination, should anyone be able to see inside. Two agents got in front and the vehicle was started up. Once leaving the warehouse they traveled through traffic to try and reach the A1 to head north to Scotland. Traffic was bad in the center part of the city, but thinned out and they actually made it to the A1 quicker than they had expected. One of the agents yelled over the side "You can remove the panel now. We made better time than expected."

Sheldon was just about at wits end when he heard the go-ahead that he could remove the panel. He took in a huge breath of air when the panel was placed next to him and began to unfold, stiff from sitting in the same tight position for so long. He stretched out his long legs and arched his back to help relieve some of the stress from the horrible position he had been subjected to for the last near hour.

Grabbing his phone he immediately texted Amy that he was finally able to open the panel and stretch his legs. He asked if she was doing okay.

Amy heard the text and immediately pulled her phone to read what Sheldon had sent. She replied back that she was doing fine and that she would check in with him in another hour.

"Will we be able to stop for bathroom breaks at all?" Sheldon asked the agents. He didn't need to use any facilities at the moment, but he also knew his whole schedule was thrown way off. He just wanted to make sure he was going to be able to have a chance to use a toilet when he needed to and give him a chance to actually walk a wee bit.

"Yes, but not for at least another hour. Are you able to hold it?"

"Oh I don't need to go right now, but I was just wondering." Sheldon replied.

"Good. We have to stop at secure locations and it will be some time."

Sheldon just leaned back, using the padding in the crate for back support and closed his eyes. He let the lull of the road lure him to sleep sitting up. Lucky for him, there was nowhere to fall forward or to the side because of the position he was laying. The crate provided him good protection to help him sleep. He knew he would be very stiff by the time they arrived at Angus' estate, but if it kept he and Amy safe, it would be worth it.

An hour later, Sheldon was woken by the beep of his phone. Amy sent him a message. "_We just had our first bathroom break and I was able to grab another snack and some water. Make sure they give you water so you don't dehydrate. Love you._" Sheldon smiled.

"_Glad you are getting something to eat and drink. When we make our first bathroom stop, I will get water then. I am good for now. This going to play havoc with my system though. Love you and talk to you in an hour_," Sheldon typed back to Amy. He lie back again and just listened. The truck's only windows were in front and to the side of the driver and passenger seat. There were no other windows. He could not see anything but overhead lights and possibly part of a sign or two as they drove along the highway. All in all, he decided it could be far worse. At least they would have a nice place to stay once they arrived to their destination.

Four hours later, Amy finally was asked to move the panel back into position as they would be arriving to her grandfather's estate. Once the panel was securely in place, the car began to merge with traffic and make the proper exits. Weaving through various roads and roundabouts, it grew quiet as the car went through a security gate. It had a gatehouse, with security agents inside, on one side and cameras on the other. The gate was electric and only opened through a series of security sequences including optical recognition. Once all the security checks had been made and satisfied, the gate opened and the car began to drive in. The gate pulled closed behind them.

It took another 10 minutes or so of driving through roads found on Angus' compound to lead them to the drive up to the mansion. Opening the garage, the chauffer pulled in and turned off the engine, closing the garage door behind them. Once he looked around ensuring everything was safe, he opened the door for Angus to come out. Angus then joined him as they opened up the boot and let out Amy.

Amy stretched her legs and arms, arching her back and moving her neck back and forth, hunching her shoulders up and back down. She needed to stretch. Just as she was about to say something her phone beeped. It was Sheldon. "_Having our second bathroom break in about 10 minutes, but I am about two hours from there now. Will be glad to get there. Did you arrive_?"

Amy smiled as she read the message. She typed in "_Yes, just now. I can't wait until you get here. Love you_." She heard a quick beep back with "_Love you too. Soon_."

"Sheldon is about two hours away. They are stopping for another bathroom break" Amy said as she continued to stretch and move around to counteract the tightness she had been placed in for hours.

"Yes, they should arrive about the time you said. Come, let's get you inside and let me show you to your suite" Angus signaled.

Just as they were opening the door, Angus's phone went off. He picked it up immediately and grew pale. "Are you sure. What actions have you taken to shake them off?"

"Sir, it has been following us for several miles. We had to miss our last bathroom stop because of it. We have woven around in a way to keep them off of the trail. We are going to put Plan B in effect," the agent in the passenger side of the delivery truck announced.

Sheldon had been placed back into tight quarters with the panel back in place on the crate. He hated being crated. His long legs kept trying to fall asleep on him from lack of proper movement. He began to panic as he overheard the conversation.

"Amy, we have had a complication" Angus turned to tell his granddaughter. "We have put an alternative plan in place, but that means that Sheldon will likely arrive later than we expected." He tried to be reassuring but the pure panic that was on his Granddaughter's face wasn't helping.


	58. Chapter 58: Faisal Visits the UK

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

"What do you mean by a complication?" Amy asked, eyes wide, breathing quickly and erratically.

"It could be nothing, but there was a car that appeared to have been following the delivery truck. They are taking precautions by going with a different plan to bring Sheldon here safely. It is okay. It probably is nothing and just a coincidence" Angus said.

"I…I….I don't think…." was all that Amy was able to get out before she began to fall to the ground in a faint. Agents immediately were surrounding her and carrying her into the mansion. They carried her into a beautiful sitting room, laying her on the couch. Angus was following and caught up with them. He pat her lightly on the cheeks and eventually she came to. "Giles, go get her a glass of water, please" Angus ordered one of the other agents who was standing nearby. Giles took off toward the kitchen to get her water.

"Amy, dear, are you all right?" Angus asked her, concern written all over his face.

"Grandfather? Yes, I am sorry. I think that between being in the trunk of the car the whole way here and then hearing you mention a complication, well it overwhelmed me." Giles returned with the glass of water and handed it to Amy. Looking up at him she smiled and said, "Thank you. I appreciate it." Giles then went back to stand at his post at the edge of the entrance to the room.

Amy drank about half the glass and immediately felt perkier. But a frown on her brow told the true story. She was still very concerned about Sheldon. "So when will they update you?" Amy asked. As if on cue, Angus' phone rang.

"MacGregor" he answered, immediately. Listening he nodded his head and kept saying "yes" over and over before he finally said, "good, so approximately two hours?" Upon a quick listen, he replied "excellent, good work," and disconnected the call.

"It seems that they shook off whoever it was that was following them, if indeed that was the case. They have resumed their way here and there does not seem to be anyone following from any direction," Angus relayed the information to Amy.

"Any direction?" Amy was amused by that comment.

"Yes, by air or by ground and not by checkpoints. They have been the solo vehicle on the road for quite some time. They are about two hours out still, probably more like an hour and forty-five minutes, but at least they are on their way and seem to be alone," Angus replied.

Amy was pleased at this news. "Thank you, Grandfather. It does help knowing you are here with me and that you are overseeing this operation." Amy snickered and then said "I feel so James Bond."

Angus smiled, glad to see her color had returned, as well as her humor. He asked Giles to show her to the suite where she and Sheldon would be staying and explain the "house rules", before bringing her back to wait in the sitting room with him until Sheldon arrived.

The mansion was amazing. Amy kept thinking about the Pride and Prejudice movie that started Colin Firth. The mansion was so much like Pemberly to her only bigger and more stately if that can even be imagined. She was shown to a separate wing which had a large hall lined with paintings of her ancestors. She walked slowly by each painting soaking in her heritage. Giles showed her the suite where she and Sheldon would be staying. It was enormous. It had a very large lounge or sitting room, a small office, a huge bedroom and en-suite bathroom, and even a small kitchen and dining area. It even had a second bedroom and bath for guests. One thing that was unique about the suite is that the windows were all covered by faux-windows.

"While you are not a prisoner here, you are under protection and as part of the process of ensuring your safety you are not allowed to look out any windows, nor can any of the lights from your suite at night be seen from the outside. You may use your lights, but that is the reason for these black-out faux-windows. The real windows are similar to one-way mirrors in that from the outside they appear like a normal window, but no one can see in. These faux-windows have a scene on the other side to make it appear there is depth to a room, but no one can really see inside. Because they are dark in color, they shield any light you have from this side of the panel to the outside. It is to appear as if these rooms are empty at night."

"Is that to fool anyone that might be watching the house? I mean if the rooms appear empty and unoccupied, they will think that we are not here?" Amy asked.

"Yes, that is exactly why these are here. We don't want anyone to know you are here. While the estate property is fenced with electric fence all around the perimeter with guards that are stationed throughout the property, cameras, and security alarms, there still is a small chance that with telescopic equipment one of the individuals involved in this terrorist group could see whether lights were on or a person walks by a window. You will not be allowed outside the entire time you are here. I realize that is a discomfort, but it is for your protection."

"I am sure my husband will have many questions for you when he arrives, but are there any measures to prevent anyone from attempting to break in to the property?" Amy was curious.

"Yes. There are alarms that are activated the moment someone does not meet the proper security sequences. Those include optical scans, thumb print scans, a sequence of questions that must be answered, an ID card with an electronic activated strip, and a sequence of identifying numbers. Any of those that are wrong set off alarms and immediately release all kinds of weapons that point to the location of the attempt. Bottom line, every square inch of the property is activated immediately if there is anyone or anything moving that should not be. Officers carry a special device on them that lets them move about freely without activating the alarm, but those are well hidden to anyone outside of this compound. They would have no idea that such a mechanism would be required."

Amy was impressed. She really could not believe that she was even having to ask such questions, but there was a part of her that loved the thrill of it all. She always had a bit of a wild streak in her and thinking about being the target of a manhunt was rather thrilling to her, even if it was scary.

Amy followed Giles back down to the sitting room and joined her Grandfather. They spent the rest of the time getting to know each other more closely and talking about family and her heritage. "I plan to have some of the family come to a soirée, but it may have to be postponed until this nasty business with the terrorists is over" Angus was annoyed that his granddaughters honeymoon plans and chance to meet the family was being thwarted by outside forces.

The delivery truck pulled up to the gate and waited. They spoke into a box and a guard came and had them sign a document. Every move was made to appear legitimately as if the agents inside the truck were true deliverymen to anyone watching. After about five minutes of going through all kinds of security related detail, another vehicle from the premises arrived with two guards who were the car escort to show the delivery truck where to go. Everything was done for show only. It was to throw off anyone who might be watching.

Pulling up to a service garage to the estate, the delivery truck waited while a door opened and then moved inside. The doors were closed and the agents un-piled from the truck. They uncrated Sheldon and helped him steady himself from his stiff legs.

"Oh man, that is hard on someone of my height" Sheldon said, arching back and stretching. He quickly looked around and then said "Where's Amy?"

"She is inside with her grandfather. I will take you in while Carrington unloads the luggage" one of the agents replied. He held open a door that led into the estate. After winding through several corridors and eventually getting to the main part of the house, he showed Sheldon into the sitting room where Amy and Angus were perusing a family photo album and in deep conversation over one of the photos.

Amy turned and saw Sheldon, running she lunged and wrapped her arms around him, nearly knocking him over. They hugged and shared a kiss, smiling while kissing. Both were happy that they had made it safely. "Are you okay?" Amy finally asked when she drew back.

"Yes, a bit stiff, but yes, I am here all in one piece" Sheldon said. "My digestive system is going to be playing havoc though." He smiled and held his wife, so happy they were together.

Angus walked over and slapped him on the back and said "Glad you got here safely. Dinner will be in about three hours, but I will let Giles escort the two of you to your quarters. He will be stationed at the end of the hallway and you will have all kinds of privacy. There will be another agent at the other end of the hall. Both are there to keep watch over your quarters to make sure no one enters that has not been authorized to be there."

"Will someone be bringing our bags up for us?" Amy asked?

"Yes they will be brought up or should already be on their way up as we speak. I believe Carrington will be bringing them up straightaway if he hasn't already."

"Grandfather, what is the dress code for dinner?" Amy asked.

"Let's keep it casual. You two have had enough to deal with. Now why don't you head up to your suite and rest until dinner. I am sure you would rather be enjoying each other at the moment" Angus said with a twinkle in his eye. "Giles will know how to reach me if you need me for anything."

Carrington and his partner exited the mansion and got back into the delivery truck. The doors were raised and the truck backed up. The other car that had escorted them within the compound escorted them back out. After the gate opened, they drove off as the gate closed behind them. The car escort drove back to the house. The agents in the delivery truck continued to head back to London to await their next assignment.

Giles escorted Sheldon and Amy up to their suite, then took his post at the far end of the hall. Amy explained all the security, the business about the windows and all of it so that Sheldon would understand and not violate any of the rules.

"Amy, it occurred to me that we forgot to call Howard as we had promised. We were supposed to call him this morning to see what else he could have learned."

"Let me ask Giles to see if we can place a call to him. I will also ask about what the rules are for setting up our laptops" Amy suggested. Ducking out of the suite she looked and found Giles at the far end of the hall and walked down to ask the questions. Giles had all kinds of explanation, so she asked he join them in the suite to explain everything so that both she and Sheldon heard the information at the same time.

Giles explained how to set up their computers, and what network to connect to in order to access the internet. It was a special network that was shielded by so many security measures that no one would ever be able to trace their address or know where they were logging in from. In fact, it would appear they were in a totally different nation if traced. They also were given instructions for dialing out to the US from the phone in their suite. They were to never say their names and their friends were to use pseudo names as well.

"How are we supposed to notify our friends about what names we will be using and what names they are to use?" Amy asked Giles.

"We will do that through agency to agency. Your names will be John Steed and Emma Peal. Here is a list of your friends and their names," Giles said, handing Amy the list. "You may not make contact today, but you should be safe to do so in the morning. We will give you the numbers to call that map to the names. Each of your friends will have been given new numbers with phones that are similar to yours and difficult to trace. If there is nothing else, I shall return to my post."

"Thank you, that is all we need for now. We will be resting until dinner" Amy nodded. Once Giles left, she set the list over by the phone and decided to make the best of the situation. Walking up to her husband, she wrapped her arms around his waist and leaned against him. "I am so glad you are safe. You gave me a scare earlier. I actually fainted and I don't believe I have ever fainted before in my life."

"Seriously? You fainted. Are you sure you are all right? Perhaps you are ill" Sheldon said, taking his hand up to her forehead and testing it for a fever.

"No, I am fine now. I think it was the combination of riding for over seven hours in the trunk of a car, not eating properly, and hearing bad news all at the same time that did it for me" Amy insisted.

"Well it is a good thing that we are going to rest now. I don't want you to get sick," Sheldon continued to worry.

"Trust me, I have no intention of getting sick, but I would like to crawl in bed…specifically with you right now" Amy teased.

Sheldon studied her a bit longer and then decided she was fine and agreed. "Yes, I think we have to make up for the interruption we received this morning," he raised his eyebrows up and down. Walking over to the door to their suite, he locked it, not wanting any interruptions this time. Then he came back and began to hold Amy in his arms, leaning down and began kissing her. Their kiss turned passionate and clothes went flying. They jumped into the huge bed and pulled back the covers. Once inside the bed, they made beautiful music together as they rhythmically made love.

Breathing heavily from their joint climax, they worked at trying to gain control of their breaths. Once their breathing became less erratic and more normal, Sheldon pulled himself out and lay next to Amy, pulling her into him. She loved these moments, when they could lie content from the afterglow of their love making.

Sheldon just ran his fingers through her hair as they lay cuddled together in bed. He loved her silky hair and the smell of her shampoo. He pulled her in tighter as he considered what danger they were in. He wasn't really afraid now that they were at Angus' house, but he did wonder how long they would be there and what the implications would be long-term. Both had jobs where they had taken a lot of time off recently due to the shooting and recovery.

"You are worried about how long we might have to be here, aren't you?" Amy said quietly. She too had been considering their circumstance and wondered what impact it would have on her job.

"You know me like a book. Yes. I am also a bit angry that Ramona has interrupted our lives in so many ways, including our ability to continue with our work disciplines" Sheldon admitted.

"That may have been a big part of her plan, that if she failed to kill me, that at least she could take away hours of important breakthroughs you could be making" Amy theorized. "Her sister may feel that she can help by keeping us captive here as well."

"A little far-fetched; but with those women, who knows? They are very twisted."

"Let's not give them more thought. Have I told you recently how much I love you?" Amy said lovingly.

"No, but I am glad to hear that," Sheldon replied smiling down at her. He kissed the tip of her nose and then asked "you didn't by any chance pack some of your delightful little near-nothing lingerie outfits, did you? Oh, and your stilettos?"

"Indeed I did. I knew you would likely enjoy those on our honeymoon" Amy smiled up at him. "Do you want me to model one for you?"

"Yes, but perhaps we should hold off until after dinner. We only have about two more hours before we need to be downstairs. I was thinking we could perhaps take an hour long nap, then shower and get ready together."

"Yes, I could use a nap" Amy replied.

Sheldon reached and turned off the lights, setting the alarm clock on his new phone first. They both cuddled and within moments had fallen into a slumber.

An hour later, they were woken by the alarm. Rising out of bed, they went to the shower and crawled in. "Your grandfather must have had this suite remodeled not that long ago. Look at the size of this shower. It is massive, especially when you consider the age of this house. The whole bathroom is huge and that is unusual, even for a remodeled estate such as this" Sheldon commented as the hot water started to pour down them.

"Yes, but judging from our home, I would say grandfather likes to keep up property he owns" Amy noted.

"Yes, you are right. He kept up our house impeccably. It has been all updated with the latest and greatest as well" Sheldon concurred.

Sheldon began to put shampoo in Amy's hair and massaged her scalp. It was relaxing and sensual the way he could work his fingers. She turned around and faced him. Standing on her toes she began to kiss him. His body reacted instantly and before she knew it, she felt his penis twinge as it lengthened. Taking soap in her hands, she began to softly massage him, washing all of his manly areas, causing his erection to harden and grow. She put soap in his hands and brought them to her breasts. Taking her cue, Sheldon began to softly massage her breasts, squeezing them and working her erect nipples. They continued to lovingly work each other into a lather, while at the same time getting more and more turned on and the foreplay was almost too much for them to handle. Finally, Sheldon couldn't take it any longer and lifted her up, positioning himself in side of her. They moved rhythmically while lovingly caressing each other and kissing each other. As their rhythm increased in speed, small pants and moans that were being stifled purposely to not draw attention to those standing guard down the hall, they began to get more and more erratic with their breathing. Within moments they finally came, Sheldon bursting forth in several shots. His legs spent, he eventually lowered her down worried he might drop her otherwise. They lathered back up and finished showering.

"Sheldon that was beautiful" Amy finally said after she could catch her breath. "I know making love with you is always beautiful, but sometimes there is a passion that you ignite that reaches an inner place in me that is very moving."

"I know what you mean. I feel the same way. Lord, I love you, woman! You are so amazing" Sheldon said and then leaned down to kiss her lightly on the lips.

They dried off and dressed for dinner. Both kept casual as Angus had recommended. Amy quickly dried her hair and threw in a clip. Looking each other over quickly, they interlocked their fingers as they held hands, and exited their suite.

"We are heading down for dinner with Grandfather" Amy announced to Giles as they left the room.

"Larry will escort you down as he is going off shift and you will be brought back by another agent" Giles reported. "I too will be going off shift and Gordon will be here when you return from dinner."

"All right. Well goodnight Giles. Will we see you tomorrow?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I will be back here in the morning. Good evening." Giles said.

Larry escorted them back downstairs into the dining room and took his exit. The table was beautifully decorated and Amy was stunned when she saw what was for dinner.

"You remembered! Oh I am so excited, Amy. Look spaghetti with little hot dogs in it" Sheldon said as he eyed the casserole dish on the table.

"Grandfather, you are so sweet to do this for Sheldon. I can't believe you remembered his favorite," Amy clapped her hands together excited.

"The chap had a bad day, Amy. The least I could do is make sure the cook prepared something that would give him comfort for a meal," Angus said. "I am so sorry you two had to be put through all of this, but at least here you can be safe and comfortable. I hope that having my men stationed down the hall from your suite does not make you feel you have no privacy. The suite is completely sound proof. You two are welcome to scream like monkeys in there all you want" Angus remarked.

Sheldon chuckled "Well, Amy forgot to bring Ricky, Jr. with us. Ricky was one of her favorite monkeys in her lab, who passed away. But Ricky, Jr. was an offspring of his and is still alive and making all kinds of mischief still."

The three of them laughed. "Grandfather, where do the others eat? I feel bad that they are here protecting me and yet feel like they must remain very standoffish" Amy remarked.

"Don't worry about them. All of them have beautiful suites and rooms here on the estate. A few of them have small cottages on the property where they live with their families. They go home to their families or the ones that stay here are like family with each other and choose to eat together in the kitchen. I often go in and join them unless I have guests" Angus said.

While Sheldon, Amy and Angus were enjoying a lovely dinner, Faisal had flown into the UK. He was in London and trying to use his diplomatic immunity as a means to try and free Celia. So far he wasn't getting very far.

Celia was not talking. She wasn't telling anyone anything. All she was doing was acting like a caged animal. She would screech and squeal and scream at anything and everything. She truly was acting insane. At night, they would sedate her to get her to calm down so others could sleep. A Psychiatrist on staff had been to see her several times. So far the reports back from the doctor informed that Celia was believed to be purposely trying to look insane to get out of prison. The recommendation was to keep her there and to be kept under observation.

Faisal met with some of the Brotherhood colleagues. He disguised himself whenever he met with them and used phony identification in case he would be stopped for any reason. They went over plans and discussed how their previous effort had failed. Anger was rising and the members were getting more and more agitated.

"Are they still in the UK?" Faisal asked one of the members.

"We are not sure they are. We have been watching all the likely places, including her grandfather's estate, but so far have not seen any evidence of her being there."

"Do you think they returned to the US?" Faisal continued to probe.

"The US is vast in size, but we have not had any reports of their showing up there or calling anyone there."

"Maybe they were taken over to mainland Europe. What country would they be in?" Faisal pondered.

"Switzerland would be our first guess, but we have been watching and have yet to see them there."

"How about their workplaces; have they made any contact with their superiors?" Faisal asked.

"We have a harder time getting that information out of Cal Tech, but so far there has been no contact within UCLA from Dr. Amy Cooper to her superiors."

Back at the mansion, Amy asked Angus "Grandfather, how long do you think we will be here? Do you think we can return to work next week as planned?"

"We have been in touch with your superiors at both UCLA and Cal Tech. They are well aware of the danger you both are in and are also aware that returning next week may be out of the question. We have arranged that both of you may continue work in some capacity here on my compound. Amy, I have a complete lab for you down in the basement and Sheldon you have all the office space you need at your disposal, should the office in your suite not be sufficient. I have made sure that you have at least two large white boards and one medium sized one brought up in the morning to be placed in your office. I also have several white boards down in Amy's lab, as well as an extra desk for you should you wish to be down with her while she is working. You will have access to any other sources you may need at your disposal. I, of course, have many connections in your field so can get you whatever you need. Both of you will remain on staff at your current places of employment which means you still will be paid and tenured, but to all others you are "officially" on sabbatical for an indefinite period of time."

"Wow, is there a possibility that I can see the lab sometime this evening before we go back upstairs to our suite?" Amy asked.

"Yes, I can make sure that Eoghann takes you down there and shows you the facilities before escorting you back up to your suite. He will be on night duty this evening."

Following their dinner, as promised, Amy was shown the lab down in the basement. Sheldon was looking around and was impressed as well. "He really thought of everything" Sheldon remarked. "I have to wonder how he managed to get everything so well supplied and stocked up so quickly. Did he anticipate you might be in danger?"

"Angus is a planner, . He knew you would be coming months ago and began to put this together. He said that even if Amy only used it for a few days that she was here, he wanted to have anything she might need at her disposal. He didn't know ahead this was going to happen, of course, but he always thinks of contingency plans well ahead. He strategizes for plans that won't work, will fail, will need amending, anything and everything. That is why he is one of the most brilliant men to have ever walked this planet," Eoghann shared.

"He is very impressive," Sheldon agreed. "As it turns out, he was wise to have planned. I would hate for Amy to not be able to continue her research. She is top in her field and it is only fair she be able to remain there" Sheldon was very protective.

"As are you, I might add," Amy interrupted. "You are top in your field, and here you are with someone that is a legend in that field, well at least in Raj's field. But still he has access to everything you need. I still have to pinch myself to realize that I came from such an amazing man."

Once they had enjoyed going over all the bells and whistles the lab had to offer, including laboratory animals…yes even primates…they closed up the lab and went back upstairs to their suite, Eoghann escorting them the entire way. He took his post down at the end of the hall while the couple entered their suite.

Amy's mind was dancing with ideas. She was so excited that she had her own lab and could work any hours she wanted, knowing her husband could be down there with her if he wanted doing his work. This was almost like waking up and opening up presents on Christmas morning as a child. Only this was even better because she had Sheldon with her and her grandfather.

"You are happy about the lab, aren't you?" Sheldon eyed her.

"Yes. I mean it is a dream lab. Not only is it extremely well equipped, but very cutting edge at that. Plus it affords space that if you want to be working on your work, there is a desk and white boards for you. I am excited to get started. I will have to ask Grandfather if any of my work can be sent over so that I can continue where I left off, but at least we can be productive while we are in protective custody" Amy smiled.

"Yes, although I must admit, I will miss having Alex do my menial work and seeing Koothrapali, Wolowitz and Hoftstader daily. I sort of have to admit, I miss them."

"I miss Penny, Bernadette and Alex as well, but more important, I miss being able to call Texas when I want to talk to your family as well" Amy admitted. "I also miss my father and Jane. But let's not dwell on who isn't here as much as who is here. We have each other; we have great workspace, great living space and one of the greatest minds downstairs as access to us."

"I agree. I am just thankful we are together. Speaking of together, I believe you promised me some stiletto heels?" Sheldon said with a broad smile.


	59. Chapter 59: Project S Begins

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Amy smiled coyly as she went to the closet where she had earlier hung up and put her clothes away. She changed out of her clothing and into a new lingerie outfit that had a red pushup half-bra, exposing a great deal of her breasts in an elevated fashion. The bra was attached to a corset that went down and barely covered her lady parts when standing straight, and was crotch-less. It had a lace border at the bottom in black and around the top of the half-bra. Garters hung down. She put on black hose that were supported by the garters and her black stiletto heels. She wrapped a black lacy choker necklace around her neck and pulled her hair back on the sides with a clip, placing it high near the crown of her head with her hair puffed up slightly before the clip to add height to her crown. She then dabbed a little bit of perfume (one of Sheldon's favorite scents), applied red lipstick and smoky eyes. She put on her contact lenses and removed her glasses. She asked him to get in bed and close his eyes.

Sheldon slipped off his shoes and socks and pulled down his pants and laid them over a chair. He slipped off his two shirts and folded them and set them on top of the seat of the chair. He then crawled into the bed.

Once Sheldon was in bed with his eyes closed, Amy came out and took a scarf she grabbed before entering the room, went over to the bed, instructing him to keep his eyes closed until she said it was okay to open them. She then took his arms and placed them above his head.

"Amy, w-w-hat are you doing?" Sheldon asked, nervous about what it was she was going to do.

"Shush…just behave," Amy said in her sensual voice, but with authority. Using the scarf she tied his arms together. Satisfied with her work she moved across the room and smiled at the post she saw. "Perfect" she muttered to herself lowly.

Standing against a column, she wrapped one of her long lean legs around the column, her knee slightly bent with toe pointed down accentuating her heel. She was hugging the post with her head leaning back a bit with a look of seduction. Lowering her voice to a very sensual level she said "So, Dr. Cooper, what is your delight?"

Sheldon squeezed his eyes wondering if it was okay to open them yet. "Can I open my eyes yet and why do I have to have my hands tied up?"

"Dr. Cooper, you may open your eyes, but the hands must remain as they are. What is your delight?"

Sheldon opened his eyes and saw her leaning against the post in her seductive manner. She looked raging HOT and he knew it instantly. His body went into immediate arousal. Amy seductively worked the post in the room, treating it as if it were a pole. Of course it was awkward by most people's standards, but to Sheldon it was the hottest thing he had ever seen. He loved it when Amy did her stripper act for him.

Using wide strides slowly, but standing up very straight, Amy went over to the bed and began to remove Sheldon's briefs. The evidence of his arousal was protruding so she took extra care working the waistband over his prized territory. She left the covers off of him and began to slowly start from the foot of the bed and run her fingers up his toes, his shins, his thighs, his penis, his belly button, his stomach, his chest, his nipples, his collarbone, his long neck and then up to his eyes. She was very seductive as she went through the process, making Sheldon twist under his tied hands. He was going wild with her touching him so gently and sensually.

She leaned down and gave him a butterfly kiss on his forehead, her breasts right about mouth level at the time. He tried to move his hands, but to no avail. It was driving him crazy to see her so sexy and he wanted her…he wanted her bad.

"You realize you are driving me insane" Sheldon finally cried out.

"Oh baby, you have no idea what all I have planned for you," Amy said. She took one of her legs and propped her heel right next to his shoulder. She slowly began to remove one of her nylons, unhooking it from the garter, showing off her crotch in full view. Sheldon tried to lean up and get to her, but she managed to push him back with the ball of her stiletto. "Down there, cowboy. I am not finished yet." She then removed her nylon by removing the one stiletto and the sock over her toes. She took the nylon and gently rubbed his face with the fabric. She then switched feet and put her second stiletto up next to him and repeated her action.

After removing the heel and second nylon, she crawled on the bed over his erect penis and began to gyrate, giving him breath-close touches with her crotch against his evidence of arousal.

Sheldon squirmed trying to position himself without any use of hands to enter her, but she played very coy and teased him relentlessly. She then moved lower, down on his shins, still straddling him. Leaning over, she let her breasts play with his erection, the fabric of the lace rubbing against him. She then took his penis in her mouth and teased him, gently rubbing her tongue over the head while she pumped the sides with her hands, pulling it out and putting it between her breasts and back in her mouth again.

Sheldon moaned and his breathing was erratic. Her ministrations were driving him completely insane and he wanted her so bad, but he was loving every moment of her teasing as well.

Amy finally slowly unhooked the corset and the half bra, mainly because she was finding them a bit uncomfortable and because she wanted to now feel Sheldon's touch. She moved slowly over him and laid on him, her breasts touching his chest. Reaching up she worked her ties until his arms were free. She then took hold of his arms and moved them, placing his hands on her breasts. Sheldon eagerly fondled them, leaning up and taking one in his mouth. His other hand began to work down to her nether region and fondle her there. She ground against him as he did, taking one of her hands and pumping him as he was fondling her.

She finally took her hand to remove his from her nether region and positioned herself over him so that he could enter her. As he took entrance, both let out a cry of ecstasy. Slowly she began to move into a rhythmic pattern. Sheldon in complete synch with her, still fondling her breast; but now he took her mouth and his kiss was deep. He was sitting up, so his erection penetrated deep within her as she worked the rhythm. They began to increase their gyrations when Sheldon suddenly flipped Amy over and continued to thrust. Screaming out in orgasm, both came within moments of each other.

After finally getting her breathing back to normal, Amy asked "Dr. Cooper, did the lingerie meet your expectation?" as she ran her finger over his mouth. He took her finger into his mouth and played it with his tongue. It sent electricity throughout her. He had never nourished on her fingers before and she found it very sensual. He finally removed her hand from his face and said "Oh yes, I believe it exceeded my expectation." He leaned down and kissed the tip of her breast and began to suck on it.

"You realize if you keep that up, you are going to have to make good on the offer" Amy teased.

"I fully intend on making good on the offer" Sheldon smiled back. He lay back down next to her and they just gazed in each other's eyes as they cuddled. "I have missed these moments. It seems like we have had so much happen since we left for the chapel the day of our wedding ceremony," Sheldon confided.

"I have missed this too, Sheldon. I am so sorry that I had to keep you at bay for so long. Just know it was very hard on me as well," Amy apologized.

"Beautiful, it isn't your fault. You didn't cause any of this. I would not trade one moment of our life, other than I wish I had never met Ramona Nowitzki," Sheldon added.

"Sheldon, do you think we will figure this all out? I mean if Faisal is involved in the Brotherhood, I am not sure we are equipped or able to understand everything they may be attempting. I am nervous that this will go on forever," Amy shared.

"I honestly don't know what to think. Can you share with me more about Faisal? You at one time were supposed to be engaged to him. Do you think he harbored any romantic feelings for you?" Sheldon was a bit worried that a lunatic was coming after his wife.

"No, I don't believe so. If he did, he never showed me any indication he had such feelings, nor did we correspond that often. All of our correspondence and our initial meetings were strictly business" Amy said. "I think the only time we did anything that wasn't business directly…although indirectly… or I think it was… happened during a couple of social events I attended while in Saudi. He insisted I meet people with connections to money and who had a strong interest in Neurosciences. They were formal affairs, and he escorted me to them, but he never introduced me more than as Dr. Amy Farrah Fowler."

"Did he ever flirt or make any comments or off color remark?" Sheldon was still not convinced.

Amy pondered it for a while. "I don't believe so, Sheldon. I have to admit that before I met you and the others in our group, I wasn't good at picking up on flirting gestures, however, so I may not be the best judge," Amy admitted. "I don't think I ever had a man flirt with me before you."

Sheldon felt unsettled. He didn't like that she really couldn't absolutely say no. It left just enough speculation that he could have been interested in Amy in a romantic sense. "I think we should explore that possibility more," Sheldon finally quietly said.

"Sheldon, you don't honestly think he is after me to try and win me away from you?" Amy's eyes widened as she expressed her shock. "There is no way in Heaven, Hell or on this Earth he could win me from you. You are the one and only man for me and will always be the one and only one for me."

Sheldon felt assured of her feelings, but he still wasn't sure about Faisal's. "I believe that with all my heart, Amy, but Faisal may have a different feeling. I am more concerned about him and what kind of a lunatic he might be. "

"You mean he might be like Ramona was with you? She clearly had a belief that you and she belonged together and so wanted me out of the way," Amy speculated.

"That does seem to be the theory for her dangerous behavior, but you must know that you are the only woman for me and never has there ever been anyone before you nor will there be anyone after you for me but you" Sheldon wanted to make it clear he never shared any romantic feeling with anyone but her.

"I realize that, Cuddles, but Ramona had feelings and she was a lunatic who wanted to off me so to speak. That means if Faisal is just as crazy, he may be willing to go to similar lengths to try and get you out of the picture. The difference is you noticed unbalanced behavior in Ramona when she worked with you, but I have never seen Faisal be anything but business focused and having a strong interest in Neuroscience. I would not say he ever showed any tendencies toward lunacy" Amy shared.

Both quietly held each other tightly as they began to let these thoughts sink in. Neither of them wanted to admit the fear brewing inside of them, afraid of turning their thoughts into prophecy.

"Let's try and call Howard in the morning and see what else he might have learned," Amy finally suggested.

They both lie, cuddling, and feeling the comfort of each other, and wrapped themselves into a sleep.

The next morning, Amy woke first and looked over at Sheldon. It had been such a stressful day before that she quietly got out of bed and head to shower. Once cleaned up and dressed, she went back into the bedroom to find Sheldon sitting up on the side of the bed with a pad of paper taking down some notes.

"Good morning, beautiful" he said, looking up at her. "Wow, you look amazing." Sheldon looked her up and down admiring her attire. "I can see you are excited about going down to the lab and beginning to do some work" Sheldon knew his wife well and realized that she had a glimmer that meant she was excited to sink her teeth into a whole new perspective on her work. He had seen that look in her before and it always would take his breath away. He loved how much she loved science as much as he did.

"Good morning, Cuddles. What are you notating?" Amy asked, curious about what he was doing.

"I was just jotting down all the things I wanted to ask Howard about before we call him. I want to make sure I don't forget anything since we have to keep our calls very limited. Speaking of which, did you look at this list of names they gave everyone?"

"Yeah, pretty funny if you ask me. Bernie as Mrs. Peabody and Howard as Sherman…oh and Grandfather must have remembered that Penny was an actress and gave she and Leonard the names Amanda and Jean-Marc from _Let's Make Love_," Amy laughed at she sat next to him on the edge of the bed to overlook the list.

"Well certainly appropriate for those two. They would have coitus anywhere at any time if they could" Sheldon remarked, totally oblivious.

"Umm…Sheldon…you are reverting back….There is nothing wrong with our besties, who are in love with each other I might add, making love. Besides, _Let's Make Love_ was a movie with Marilyn Monroe playing Amanda Dell who is an actress. Jean-Marc is played by Yves Montand. He is a producer who never gets the girl, but in this case does."

"Oh, so Penny is supposed to be the Marilyn character and Leonard this Jean-Marc producer guy and she is the supposed 'hot girl 'that Leonard would normally never be able to get?" Sheldon said, gesturing with his hands around the quoted "hot girl".

"Yes…it loosely is their story…she the actress that is beautiful that men adore, and he the intelligent one that normally doesn't get the pretty girl, but in this case does.

"Not this man. I understand that Penny carries the looks that most men find beautiful, but I never found her attractive, at least I never felt any sort of attraction to her. You were the only one to spin my head" Sheldon leaned over and gave Amy a quick kiss, making her blush.

"Look he gave Mee-Maw the name Miss Jane Marple, probably since nothing gets by her" Amy was amused.

"Mee-Maw has to have a name? I don't know, Amy…I don't think I will ever remember to call her anything but Mee-Maw" Sheldon was worried.

"Well whenever you start to say Mee-Maw, just change it to Miss Marple. At least both have two M's in them. I like that they named her after someone intelligent because she is" Amy smiled.

"Yes, at least they gave her a reasonable character to be named after, I suppose."

"Missy is Miss Scarlett, as in O'Hara, beautiful, charming, oh that is perfect" Amy said.

"No it isn't. Missy is far from charming. I guess many men might find her attractive, but goodness, she is a real piece of work at times" Sheldon pouted.

"Sheldon, you know and I know that she is charming and beautiful. She can charm the socks off of a cobra if she wanted" Amy continued looking at the list. "Your brother is Fred Flint probably after Fred Flintstone. I guess Grandfather considers him a rather simple man" Amy smirked.

"Indeed, simple is right, and also low class" Sheldon loved his brother, but definitely knew that George had problems. "I suppose it is as good of a name as any. At least he gave us reasonable names. I always liked the Avengers series. Mrs. Peal was always a school boy crush kind of woman. I definitely have a major crush on you, Mrs. Emma Peal" Sheldon said, leaning over to kiss her.

Once Amy pulled away from the kiss she teased "Yes, they are not bad names….John, and boy you truly are a Steed. Hubba, hubba. … Now your mother is June Cleaver, that seems appropriate somehow, although I don't think she wears pearls while vacuuming."

"Indeed she does not, but I guess I could see her being sort of a June Cleaver type, other than she has a much more firm side to her than June did, although June managed to get everyone to do what she wanted like my mother does."

"Raj and Alex are Shaggy and Velma and my father is Greg House…I am assuming from the TV show House, and Jane is Lennie McGrath…as in _Crimes of the Heart". _… "Well enough about the names, when were you going to call Howard?"

"I should probably shower; we should then head down for breakfast. Your Grandfather is probably waiting for us. After breakfast, I would like to place the call. Once we have finished with the call, we can head down to the lab and work the rest of the day if you wish", Sheldon replied.

Amy nodded. Sheldon gathered up some fresh clothing and head for the shower. Once cleaned, he came back out and the two, hand in hand, head downstairs for breakfast, escorted by Giles who was back on duty.

"Ah! You two are up. Good" Angus greeted them.

"Good morning, Grandfather. I trust you slept well?" Amy said after giving him a quick peck on the cheek.

"Good morning, Sir" Sheldon nodded while pulling out a chair for Amy to sit.

"Yes, yes, I slept well, and you? Did you both sleep well?"

"Yes, we were very tired so went to bed fairly early. We were hoping to spend some time down in the lab today. We would like to make sure that we can touch base with Howard just prior to heading down to the lab" Amy replied.

"Yes, and I had one of my men place several boxes with information from your studies in the US downstairs. There are boxes labeled LA and CT to distinguish your papers. I hope you don't mind Sheldon that I had some of your things shipped over so you could not lose any continuity. Fortunate for me, they had much of it online and emailed it to me so I only needed to print it out and the rest they shipped via our agents."

"Excellent. Thank you. Yes, that will make the continuation of our work much easier" Sheldon replied. "Are there any updates on the situation at hand?"

"Yes, we have recently filed new passports under assumed names that will appear to anyone searching for you as most likely to be you and Amy. We have also arranged for decoys who are dressed like you two normally dress, have similar physical appearance and are wearing prosthetic masks matching your faces. Those decoys are traveling with the new passports and heading to a remote island. Once there, they will change their appearances back to who they are and travel under their normal passports a different route and destination. The entire purpose is to take pressure off of searching for you in this country. Depending on how they react to the decoys it will help us determine whether or not we need to put you both in a permanent name change situation" Angus informed.

"Permanent name change? Are you talking like a permanent witness protection program kind of thing?" Sheldon asked.

"Yes. But it is trickier because we have to protect your friends and family and possibly their families if that is the case. First, before we jump to conclusions, let us see how they react to the decoys and that will give us an idea of the gravity of the situation."

Amy and Sheldon looked at each other with wide eyes. They had no idea that this could lead to an eventual change in their permanent life style. Everything they had could suddenly be changed and neither was too happy about the situation.

In California, President Siebert called in Raj, Howard and Leonard to his office. "Gentlemen, I would like you to meet Captain Johnson. He is with both the FBI and Interpol. It is imperative that you cooperate fully with Captain Johnson." With that Siebert left his office and the three men with the captain.

"I believe Mr. Wolowitz you have been in touch with both doctors Cooper, is that right?" Captain Johnson started.

Howard eyed the man. He had promised to not say a word to anyone about his research and contact with Sheldon and Amy. After a long pause, the captain realized what may have transpired and decided to help encourage Howard it was okay to reveal that connection. "Here are my credentials" the captain pulled out his identification cards and showed them to the men, allowing them to write down his badge numbers and other pertinent information. "I understand that you may be reluctant to reveal any connection or conversation, so I will make this easier to not violate any agreement you may have had with the Coopers."

"What is this about" Leonard interrupted. "What has happened that you are concerned with Sheldon and Amy?" Leonard eyed the man suspiciously. For some reason he felt uncomfortable immediately and wasn't sure why.

"Gentlemen, before I proceed I must have your word that everything discussed in this office will not go beyond this office. I know you all have clearance levels, but this must be treated with the highest confidentiality possible. Lives are at stake" the captain looked at each man, making sure they understood the gravity of the situation, while taking his identification papers and replacing them back in his pocket. "Do I have your word?"

Howard nodded, fully aware where this might be leading, "yes, of course, you have my word" he said putting out his hand to shake the captain's hand. They shook hands. Leonard and Raj both looked curiously at Howard then Raj was the first to agree next "Yes, you have my word as well" and shook on it with the captain. Finally Leonard shrugged and said "Yes, even though I am not sure what I am agreeing to other than to keep this here in this room" he said while extending his hand to shake on it with the captain.

"Good. Were you aware of a recent hijack attempt that has been in the news?

Leonard shrugged and said "Yes, somewhere overseas, the UK I think?" Raj and Howard nodded in agreement.

"Yes, well your friends, the Coopers were on that flight. It appears that the accused hijacker had connections to the Coopers, as well as did her husband."

Howard fidgeted, knowing he already had information that was probably about to be discussed, but knew that the others had no clue.

Leonard let out a whistle and Raj looked wide-eyed. "Oh poor Sheldon and Amy, they are on their honeymoon and some lunatic got on their plane? Are they all right?" Raj asked while Leonard kept eyeing Howard and was curious what he knew and why he hadn't shared it with the others.

"Yes, they are in protective custody. Their lives are currently at risk given the circumstances surrounding the hijacking and subsequent activity since", the captain replied. "As part of the process of protecting them, each of you will be given special detail that will be protecting you. Likewise we will be having detail placed on Penny, Bernadette, and Alex." He paused so they could let that sink in. "You must cooperate and listen to the agents that will be assigned to you so that you will not be in any danger." The captain pulled out of his briefcase a number of phones. Checking each one individually he handed a phone to each man. "These are phones that cannot be traced outside of the Bureau and Interpol networks. You must use these. The Coopers have been given your individual numbers and you each are given new code names to start using when you use these phones. These phones are only to be used to converse with the Coopers or between each other if you need to share information between yourselves about the case. Otherwise continue to use your standard phones for daily conversations not related to the case. Do not discuss the case under any circumstance using your regular phones."

The mean each took their phone and looked at their code names. They all looked at each other comparing their names, smirking at each other.

"I will be in contact with Penny, Alexandria, and Bernadette separate from this meeting," he handed each of them a list of numbers, code names mapped so that they could memorize the list and program the names into their phones. "Memorize this list then destroy it in the secure document files bins."

They boys began typing in code names and numbers and putting something meaningful after so they could remember who was who without making it obvious.

"It is important to try and schedule your calls with the Coopers at varying time intervals, which may mean a change in your sleeping schedules if you need to converse with them. Likewise, I ask that you try and arrange all of those conversations to be carried out here at the University as much as possible, and only within your offices or within Dr. Siebert's office for now. Make sure no one else, other than those in this room and Dr. Siebert, are anywhere within listening distance. Make sure that no one follows you and starts to catch on to your private calls with these phones. Your detail agents will instruct you of the safest place within your residences that you can speak if absolutely necessary."

"What about the internet and other tools? We often email each other or Skype" Leonard asked.

"We will have a protocol for you to follow for that as well. You will be given special hardware cards for your laptops and special instructions for accessing a secured network in order to send emails to the Coopers or Skype to them if necessary. Until that hardware is installed, you may not contact them via computer. It puts them at too much risk."

"Do you have any idea when we will be getting those cards?" Howard asked. He didn't want to reveal that he had been doing his own poking around and research, but he really wanted to be able to update Sheldon and Amy on what he had learned.

"I am hoping to get the entire set-up to you before the end of today. But for now, these phones are the only access to the Coopers until I tell you otherwise. I have asked Dr. Siebert to try and locate a special sound-proof room that you three may have keys to access for performing any Skype sessions, emails, document exchanges and phone calls. He is working on that as we speak. He believes there is a room that is already appropriate for such matters and is just working on logistics to make sure it is not occupied. If it is, he will have the occupants moved to a different location in the facility so that it can be made available to you. We will hold all future meetings in that room as well. "

"Once we have the secured location for transmittals, you will need to make sure that any files you save follow a special protocol for protection of information. This includes all emails or any other documents exchanged. You will be given special instructions, but not only will the files be encrypted, but you will password them several layers deep, then set several booby traps that only you will know how to get to the data without it total destroying the data. It is essential that whatever you exchange is not backed up to any other system either."

"Now about your details that are going to be assigned. You three will have different agents with you while at work. If anyone asks, they are special colleagues from a government grant that are working with you and that is all you can reveal to them. Do not let on like they are there for protection. Likewise the agents assigned to you and the girls that will detail each of you outside of the office, those agents are to blend in, keeping out of view. If anyone asks, say you have no idea what they are talking about and that you were not aware anyone was following you. Pretend that they are imagining it. Our agents are good at keeping themselves out of view, yet within immediate range at the same time."

"Will the girls know that they have detail assigned to them?" Leonard asked. He was concerned about Penny. She wasn't always the most cooperative person.

"Yes. Each of them will be getting a visit from a colleague of mine to explain the rules for talking about, talking with, mentioning, or saying anything about the Coopers. Alexandria is going to be hearing from me direct, but the other two are getting a visit from Captain Montez today. When your social group gathers, you may not discuss the Coopers other than casually talking about wondering if they are enjoying their honeymoon and wondering when they are to return; beyond that, keep it as if you have not been in any contact. Once their return date passes and they still are in protective custody, you may not mention them at all unless we give you a script of what you can say. All conversation about the Coopers will have to be done in sound-proof, approved locations under the circumstances I earlier outlined. "

"Your assigned agents will properly identify themselves and show their identification. Each of you will have three agents assigned, one for each shift. Each agent will be permanently assigned to you until this case is closed and the Coopers are no longer at risk. If anyone else appears to be expressing an extreme interest in your work, in your personal lives, in following you, in making sudden friends with you, make sure your detail agent knows. At any time, if you feel that someone is following you other than your assigned detail agents, notify your agent on duty immediately. The organization behind the hijacking and a foiled set of operations that followed are terrorists and many are highly educated and can mask as a colleague. Be extra careful who to trust and share any information with, even if it is just your daily work unrelated to this case. If you are unsure, Dr. Siebert can let you know if they are legit or not. Under no circumstances share anything about this case to anyone outside your social group, Amy's parents, grandfather, and Sheldon's immediate family. Keep any sharing to a minimum to avoid being overheard."


	60. Chapter 60: Who's Who in the Zoo?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

After several more instructions and the captain responding to numerous questions from the boys, he took his leave so that he could instruct Alex.

Dr. Siebert joined the three boys in the room and came in with keys. "I have located a room that will now be assigned to a new project that we are going to call Project S. If anyone asks, say it is a government project and that it cannot be discussed outside of the project team. I will make sure to create some dummy project up named that with some sort of mumbo jumbo to seem legit. The keys you have been given are to the room for all correspondence to Dr. Cooper and his wife. You may use it at any time and we will hold any meetings to discuss their situation in that room only. There are three desks down there for the three of you to use should you wish to work on your normally assigned projects there as well, but you will still need to keep your regular offices and your laboratories as your main access points for working with others as you have been on your teams. For this situation, you three are the only three on the team, other than the three agents that will be also your details while at the University campus during working hours. We will claim them to be assigned to work with you."

Just as Siebert gave them the keys, Howard's new phone went off. He looked at the number and it didn't give a number. Unsure he decided to still answer it.

"Hello?"

"Sherman, this is John" Sheldon said, hoping Howard had received instructions because he really needed to talk and learn what was going on in California.

"Oh yes, I was hoping you would call. Hang on, I have to walk somewhere so we can talk" Howard said as he started out the door and head to the new room that had been given them for such conversations. He walked briskly down several halls and stairs to the facility where he figured they would be safe to talk. Out of breath he finally said "OK, coast is clear. What the heck is going on?"

"Have you been briefed?" Sheldon wasn't sure how to proceed. He was still unsure what was expected and how to play this game. Amy was by his side and listening as Sheldon had placed the phone they were calling from on speaker phone.

"The number you called me from didn't show up" Howard replied.

"That is because I am not calling from my cell. I am on a secured land line" Sheldon said.

"So what is going on are you guys okay? How is, um…" Howard looked down at the list again and continued "Mrs. Peel doing through all of this…and more important are you getting any while there?"

Sheldon rolled his eyes looking over at Amy and shaking his head, realizing the pervert side of Howard would never go away "Mrs. Peel is well. As for your second question, while it is none of your business I can report that there have been plenty of moments to quote get it unquote. Now, I wanted to get an update form you on whether you were able to gather any further information."

"Yes, actually it is very interesting. I was able to break into that document that was secured. You won't believe this one" Howard was excited to share what he learned. "But before I get into it, hang on. I need to go grab my notes. I didn't have them with me when you called. Can you call me back in about five minutes so I have time to go retrieve them and get back here where we can talk?"

"Okay. I will call you back in five minutes from this same number. Has everyone else been instructed?" Sheldon wanted to know if it was safe for Amy to call Penny. She had been dying to call her.

"Um…"Howard looked down at the list and used the code names "Jean-Marc, Shaggy and myself have, but the others are unknown. I believe Velma is being given orders as we speak, but unsure of the others on the team." Howard loved this undercover operation. It made him feel trusted and so alive for some reason.

"Good. See if you can find out about the others before I call you back. I will call you again in five minutes." Sheldon disconnected the call and prepared to count down the minutes.

Howard dashed back up the stairs and up to Siebert's office. He asked when the girls would be receiving updates and their phones. Learning that they were being briefed at that moment he nodded and dashed out to his office to grab his briefcase. On his way back to the secret room, he informed Siebert that he would be working in that office for a few hours updating "John and Emma" on information he had learned. He then dashed back downstairs to wait for Sheldon's call.

Meanwhile, Bernadette and Penny arrived at Cal-Tech. Leonard had called and asked them both to come to the campus and report to Dr. Siebert's office. Both assembled together outside of his office.

"Do you have any idea what this is about?" Bernadette asked Penny.

"No, I was hoping you had an idea."

"I haven't a clue, although Howard has been a little strange lately…sort of secretive about something. I have tried to figure out what, but he wouldn't tell me anything, even after a bunch of threats and his mother trying to get him to talk" Bernadette revealed.

"I guess we had better go on in and see what they have to tell us, but why do I feel like I have been called into the Principal's office?" Penny shrugged.

"I know what you mean" Bernadette said, eyes wide as she began to open the door.

While the girls were being debriefed, Howard received the second call from Sheldon.

"So Sherman, what was it you started to say was interesting that you learned?" Sheldon asked.

"John, it ends up Faisal is a twin as well, the oldest being Faisal of the two twins. His brother, Hazim, has always been envious of Faisal. The thing is, the secret document revealed that it wasn't Faisal who actually married Celia. It was Hazim, but using Faisal's name and status. I don't even know if she realizes this. He did this all without Faisal's knowledge. The document reveals that Hazim managed to lure Faisal one day to meet with him and Hazim and his allies are keeping Faisal bound in a cell at some unknown location. Hazim has been acting as Faisal and even sharing Faisal's wives' beds. He is a piece of work."

Amy and Sheldon looked at each other and were stunned. "So is it possible that Mrs. Peal met the wrong brother?"

"No, she definitely met Faisal and he has been the one funding the science related projects and he even was the one who signed over the funding to the University in question. However Faisal was taken hostage not long after. Hazim does have a bone to pick with Emma, however. It seems that he competed one time, about seven years ago, for grant money that was given to her instead of him. He also is quite a chauvinist in that he hates women being involved in anything but bearing children and raising them. Beyond that, they are all expendable. What you have here is a case of good twin and bad twin. Faisal is actually fairly decent and the association with the Brotherhood really is from Hazim, not Faisal, yet Hazim is traveling around the world as Faisal. In fact, from what I can tell, it appears he flew to the UK and could be there even as we speak, but under Faisal's name."

"We are going to have to help out Faisal" Amy blurt out. "This is wrong and Hazim has to be exposed."

"Now hold on there, _**Mrs**_." Sheldon said emphasizing the Mrs. "Peel, we are not going to do anything but what we are told to do." Sheldon had no intention of doing anything where Faisal would be indebted to his wife. He still was a jealous man, even if Amy had been making him feel more and more secure daily.

"John, we have to help him because it could be the key to resolving this entire case" Amy pleaded with Sheldon. After sharing eye contact with him for a few moments, she finally realized that they needed to discuss this privately. "We can discuss this later. So did you learn anything else, Sherman?"

Sheldon looked at her a few moments longer and nodded approval of how she must be turning closer to his way of thinking and refocused his attention back to Howard.

"Sherman, you mentioned earlier that Faisal had a different name that you found buried deep in files, but was it Faisal who had the different name or is that some of Hazim's handiwork?" Sheldon asked.

"Hazim is a piece of work. I put nothing past him. However, from what I can tell, Faisal and Hazim both have given names and then their public names. Both are Princes, but Faisal is direct for the crown because he was born first. The whole issue that Hazim has with Faisal…he is jealous over the crown. Thus, the reason he is holding Faisal somewhere. What I can tell you is that Hazim may have Brotherhood behind him, but he is not nearly as intelligent as Faisal. He was pretty stupid leaving anything documented and his entire plan was found in paperwork that they attempted to secure, but not enough. I broke in after about ten minutes of effort. That was with bobby traps and all."

"So what is Hazim's background? Did you look at his educational records?" Sheldon asked.

"He has a Bachelor's degree and an honorary Master's degree, but no doctorate. Faisal is the only one that has a doctorate. It also appears that he was brought up working in the oil fields. While he is also the King's son, he had opportunity the same in that everything was funded for him to go on and get a doctorate if he wanted, but instead he liked working with labor more than management. Yet it appears that it was through his hands-on work, that he encountered individuals who had ties to the Brotherhood and that may have been how he got involved. His jealousy is what is dangerous about him. He had all of the same opportunities as Faisal, but felt like Faisal was the favored son because he was in line for the crown. The thing is, because Faisal has sons now, they would actually be in line before him for the crown, at least according to their laws, so Faisal's sons are also at jeopardy once everyone figures out what is going down. The King is elderly and Faisal was pretty much acting in his capacity for a while now so no one has seemingly noticed that Hazim is running the ship."

"So I take it that Faisal really isn't tied to the Brotherhood, but in name only?" Amy wanted to make sure that Faisal was truly a scientist and not a religious fanatic.

"Yes, he is in name only. The Prince, before recent months, had no previous associations. It was only part of the plan and documented in their plan, that his name became associated because it was really Hazim who had the relationship with them, not Faisal. Hazim, acting as Faisal had to change the documentation to make it appear as if Faisal and the ties so that Hazim could claim that Faisal had dishonored the throne one day and take over. The thing is Hazim didn't think it through because if Faisal was assumed to not be appropriate for the crown, his oldest son would get it not Hazim. He really isn't very bright."

"How…I mean…Sherman, how can we get those documents? Were you able to save them or can you document how to access them so that we can pass that along to help us in our endeavor?" Sheldon nearly slipped up and called him Howard.

"Yes, I will make sure to get the documents to the…um…to the project manager" Howard found trying to dance around with wording tedious and was hoping he was doing an okay job. He didn't want to do anything to jeopardize Sheldon and Amy's welfare.

"Um, Sherman, is there anything in the documents that can reveal where they are holding Faisal captive that we can have resources help free him?" Amy asked. She felt obligated to help Faisal, not only because he had helped fund her project, but she honestly felt if she could free him, that it would help their current situation. It might help unveil the plot Hazim had in place and bring about an end to this predicament.

Sheldon looked over at his wife suspiciously. He still could not shake that there was a tie there between Amy and Faisal that made him uneasy. Amy sensed his discomfort and she reached out and took his hand, rubbing the pad between his thumb and forefinger with her thumb, while she knit her fingers between his. She whispered "he can maybe free us from this mess if he were allowed to tell his side of the story" trying to reassure Sheldon. The love in her eyes for him and the fact she was trying to reassure him managed to work. He nodded and smiled back at her, leaning in and giving her a small peck on the lips.

"There is a reference to a document that I still have not been able to find. That document might likely point to where he is being held, but I think that experts on the…um…." Howard was struggling to figure out what word to use…he didn't want to use the word case, then it came to him, "project, yeah…project, they may be able to decipher things more clearly. I had to resort to some translation tools to help me learn as much as I did, and those are not always the best for getting the real meaning of things" Howard admitted.

"True, but I am grateful for what you have been able to put together and learn. This is most interesting information and it does make me wonder if they would be after my…I mean…Mrs. Peal and why" Sheldon nearly slipped again and called Amy his wife. He mouthed over to Amy "this code name stuff is hard" as she giggled. She knew it would be hard for everyone, but they had to do what they had to do to keep safe.

"So, Sherman, I have another question about Celia. If she really is married to Hazim and not Faisal, does that mean that the contract she has in place, her marriage agreement, is null and void and that she loses big time?" Amy suddenly thought about how stupid Celia was agreeing to marry for prestige instead of love.

"Well, yeah…it would definitely null and void the contract. I am sure Faisal would never agree to honor it. It was all in his name, but without his knowledge. Not to mention that scum of a brother of his has been sleeping with his wives. How they wouldn't know the difference is frightening" Howard shuddered.

"Yes, although they may feel in danger and thus are placating him" Amy tried to figure out how they would agree. They surely knew the difference between the two men, even if they were identical twins.

"So what more can you tell us about Celia. It seems that she cannot be very bright if she agreed to this kind of a contract. Mrs. Peal and I were surmising that perhaps Celia and Ramona had obtained their degrees through perhaps cheating in some way" Sheldon began to ask.

Amy interrupted, trying to clarify "While we agree they are very clever and intelligent in many ways, there are too many inconsistencies about their intelligence that makes us wonder how Celia could have obtained a doctorate and how Ramona came so close to even be admitted to a doctorate program."

"I admit, I spent more time focused on the Faisal angle because it was fascinating me than I did exploring more about Celia and Ramona. I could look more into them and get back to you" Howard felt like he had failed them.

"I am glad you did spend more time on Faisal" Sheldon admitted. "It gives us a lot more information that can be immediately useful to this project. I would like for you to continue to pursue the two sisters, however as well. So yes, please continue to explore their story. Don't forget to check into past romantic interests and anything else that can be useful."

"One thing I can tell you is that both girls have been involved in the porn industry. I found through one of my previous porn contacts that they go by pseudo names but that both have been in print material as well as videos" Howard shared.

"Porn contacts?" Amy raised an eyebrow at Sheldon. Sheldon shrugged and looked down, turning slightly pink. "So what are their pseudo names?"

"Ramona goes by Moaning Barbona and Celia goes by Princess Lay-ya" Howard said laughing. He could not possibly keep a straight face from their names.

Amy stifled a laugh herself. They were just horrible names. "Well, eh-hem, that explains a lot. I have to wonder if she didn't meet Hazim as a client. Actually, any chance you have any information that could tie how she met him?"

"Interesting you should ask. It ends up that Hazim is very big into porn. It was pretty well known that Celia did the porn to earn cash for her tuition and that she was working on a doctorate in Petrochemical Engineering. From what I could tell, Hazim arranged a private meeting, claiming he wanted to help fund her education and that she would only have to do private favors in exchange. He was going to help remove all of her porn history in exchange so that she could go legit. Of course, that never happened, but they did eventually meet at British Petroleum. She met him as Prince Faisal and she immediately became interested. Those girls sure like prestige and title" Howard shared.

"Well it seems you did do a fair amount of research after all on Celia. Good job…"Sheldon started to praise Howard but then quickly remembered to call him the right name "Sherman. I look forward to what else you can dig up. Make sure to get those documents to the, uh…project manager that you uncovered on the brother switch."

"Do I call you back at this number if I need to reach you and if so, what is the number?" Howard asked.

"No, text me if you need me to call. I will call you after I get a text. You have my mobile line number, correct?" Sheldon replied.

"Yes. I have the numbers of everyone on the project" Howard explained, hoping Sheldon would catch his drift.

"Good. I have to get to other pressing matters at the moment, but let's plan to touch base again later today" Sheldon said vaguely. "I will initiate the call."

"Sounds good. Bye Mrs. Peal, glad you are on the project" Howard said. He really felt weird not being able to express real feelings.

"Goodbye, Sherman. I am glad you all are on the project as well. I will be in touch with other team members soon."

Everyone disconnected. Sheldon and Amy needed time to process what they learned so both sat to process everything. Amy glanced over to Sheldon. "So, Howard has porn contacts, how about you?"

Sheldon squirmed and said "I don't have any porn contacts, unless you count Howard as a porn contact."

"But you have partaken in porn?" Amy pressed.

Sheldon turned bright red, "um…only when I was researching, you know…to be ready for you…I mean, I knew I wanted us to be together and…well I didn't want to be bad at anything…so I did some research." He looked down, embarrassed at his admission.

"I see….well your research paid off. I hope you didn't find the research participants stimulating" Amy probed.

"Eww…not in the slightest. Oh God, Amy, absolutely not! They were gross. As much as I have endured listening to Penny and Leonard over the years and be grossed out by them, they were tame in comparison…well at least from what I could tell by sound." Amy started giggling and couldn't stop. She found it hilarious that Sheldon had done so much work trying to be ready for her. Somehow she should be disgusted but she found it endearing instead. She finally composed herself and leaned over and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Not many men would go to such great lengths for his woman. Speaking of lengths" she looked at his crotch and moved her eyebrows up and down.

"Um…hold on, Tigress. We have to update your grandfather first.

"Yes that would be wise and then I want to get to the lab and think about anything but this case for a while" Amy replied, then coquettishly she said added "besides, I believe we need to christen the ship so to speak" raising her eyebrows up and down.

"I will grab the champagne!" Sheldon laughed.

They got up and walked hand in hand back to Angus' office. Knocking on the door and giving him her name, Angus let the couple in. They shared with Angus what they had learned and he smiled. "I have had some of our best men trying to hack that file. I am impressed your friend Howard was able to do so and so quickly at that. I never want to hear you tease that poor boy again about his only having a Master's Degree. He deserves respect after this" Angus warned Sheldon.

"Yes, sir, I agree. I have no intention of sporting any further attitude toward him" Sheldon concurred.

"Grandfather, is there a code name we are to give you? I mean what if we want to refer to you to our friends?" Amy asked.

"That would be unfortunate as it might lead everyone to know of your whereabouts. Right now, no one is the wiser where you are being held. So for now, try and avoid my name. Just say…to report to the project manager…. keep it at that. We are not even allowing your friends to know where you are located, for their own protection" Angus grew serious.

"Alright, that works. We will try to be very careful when we speak with them." Turning to Sheldon she said "Shall we head down to the lab?" He nodded his consent and they left Angus' office. But before they got out the door Angus said "Don't forget lunch will be served at 1 PM."

"Thank you for keeping to my schedule, sir" Sheldon smiled as they head out the door.

Sheldon and Amy locked the door to the lab; their escorts were sitting down the corridor on each end as usual. She was glad there was no see-through glass on the door, nor any windows. It was very private. Sheldon, being true to his word, had had them drop by the wine cellar to grab a bottle of champagne and two glasses en route to the lab. He pulled out the bottle and popped the cork. Pouring the liquid into glasses, they toasted and sipped. "These bubbles are tickling my nose" Sheldon finally said.

Amy giggled and continued sipping the delicious drink. A few moments passed while they exchanged eye-coitus as they drank their expensive liquid. Setting down their glasses, they immediately fell into an embrace and passionate kiss. Before long, clothes went flying. Sheldon lifted Amy on top of the workbench and managed to hoist himself up so that he could straddle her. His hands explored her breasts as he deepened his kiss, his erection growing harder by the second. He had just entered her and began thrusting when suddenly he became aware that there were eyes looking at him. He looked over and there sat a Capuchin monkey, causing him to exit Amy immediately and jump off the workbench. "What the heck?" Sheldon exclaimed pointing at the monkey. Amy opened her eyes, which had been closed, as soon as she felt Sheldon pull away from her and sat up when he leaped off of the workbench. She turned to where he was pointing.

"Oh hello, and who might you be?" Amy said, laughing. "Sheldon wasn't expecting you. To be honest, neither was I" Amy continued talking to the monkey.

"Hey, wait…what about…you know" Sheldon was standing there wanting to continue their moment of passion, but his erection was quickly going soft from the shock. He wasn't willing to give up; not for a monkey. "Put him away. I want to continue our…well you know" Sheldon whined.

"Amy got down off of the workbench, and she was about to pick up the monkey but realized that Sheldon would not want to touch her if she put the monkey next to her naked flesh so put her hands back down. She looked around and found a lab coat and put it on. After fastening it, she picked up the monkey and while walking him back toward the cages said "you are a very clever one. I think we are going to be good friends" she said, hugging the little guy tight. He seemed to enjoy her mothering and leaned in and wrapped his little hairy arms around her. He took his little lips and kissed her cheek, making her giggle. "Oh you are a charmer, but my husband is standing right over there. He might not take kindly to you giving me such affection after just meeting me that is" Amy teased. She looked back at Sheldon as she was cradling the monkey.

Rolling his eyes he was starting to get annoyed. He really hated that sex had to be interrupted and it was stressing him seeing the hairy arms around her. "Must you let that creature touch you like that?"

"Sheldon, it will be all right. I will be right back. Go sip some more champagne and wait a minute. I will step inside the shower over here and wash down before I return." Amy then walked around a corner where the cages were kept and replaced the monkey back in his empty cage. Ensuring it was securely locked and that he had no way to escape again, she then walked further around another corner in the back of the lab where there was a bathroom, full with shower. There were towels and clean lab coats hanging in the bathroom as well.

Amy took a quick shower, making sure to especially pay attention to her neck and areas where the monkey might have been exposed to her flesh. Drying off, she put on one of the lab coats. She looked around the bathroom and discovered it had been stocked with makeup, lipstick and everything a woman could want to ready herself for meeting the public. She smiled at her grandfather's completeness and foresight. Applying makeup and lipstick, she pulled her hair back up into a clip, sides giving her a look very much like Irene Adler in the series Sherlock. She wished she had her stilettos when she happened to see a wardrobe behind her. "He wouldn't have been that thorough, would he?" she pondered as she opened the doors. "Oh Grandfather! How did you know?" At the top of the wardrobe was a shelf with several pairs of shoes and, of course a pair of black stilettos sat there. Amy couldn't be happier. She grabbed them and walked barefoot until she got close to the final corner before Sheldon could see her.

Slipping on the stilettos she came around and said, "Dr. Cooper, I think we need to examine you, please sit on the workbench so I can get a better inspection" Amy teased. Sheldon, still nude, looked over at where Amy's voice came from and he immediately noticed the heels. Smiling large he immediately moved toward the workbench and hoisted himself.

Amy then strolled very slowly across the room toward the workbench, making sure to give him maximum view of her in the heels. She dropped the lab coat, which had not been buttoned but only over her shoulders and stood in the nude, heels on. Parading around the workbench, she let her fingers graze his frame, making sure to tickle all of his erogenous areas. The erection that had been lost was again found. He was fully aroused and enjoying this little laboratory initiation. Amy continued to touch him, letting her fingers trace up his calves, his thighs and she massaged his private area making him moan and writhe with anticipation. He was enjoying every bit of her ministrations. She then continued to work up his body with her hands and walked around the workbench. Leaning down from the head of the table, she kissed him, he being upside down from her. She then walked around to the other side of the table while continuing to hold her kiss. Her lips left his and she began to trail his body's other side. Once she got to the feet, she took his toes into her mouth and began to play with them with her tongue. He had never had her do that and he was going absolutely crazy with desire. "Oh Amy, that is amazing" he moaned. She then began to hoist herself up onto the bench with him and let her tongue follow up his legs. Her dangling breasts followed her tongue, giving him sensation after sensation, driving him completely crazy with desire. She lingered a bit, interleaving her tongue and breasts playing with his penis and then continued to work back up his stomach, belly button, chest, breasts, collar bone and then to his lips. All the while she still sported the heels. She kissed him passionately as she lay on top of him, his hands working their way down to her bottom, playing with her hips and butt cheeks. She ground into him, and he cried out in deep desire.

Pulling away from their passionate kiss, Amy sat up and straddled his groin area with hers. She carefully maneuvered him into entering her. At first she sat down on him, stretching out her left leg on front of her because it got a crimp from the weight she placed on it. Sheldon got turned on seeing the stiletto so close to his face that he began to kiss her ankle and massage her calves and thighs. He then removed the heel and massaged her foot. After a couple of moments she bent the leg to hold her weight back over him again, and stretched out the other leg for him to remove her other heel. Repeating the same behavior on the right side, she finally straddled him full on and began to grind. Sheldon moved his hands up to her breasts, moaning with her movements. He tweaked her nipples and moved in synch with her. Moving his hands behind her back, he carefully positioned them so that he could be on top. He began to thrust into her deeper as he kissed her passionately. Amy grabbed on to his butt and enjoyed feeling the muscles work as he was thrusting deeper inside of her. Within moments, she could not hold back and climaxed. Sheldon followed within seconds after.

As both were trying to get their breath, they heard all kinds of racket from the cages. Sheldon pulled away and sighed. "I swear those monkeys are jealous of me" he teased.

"I will explain you are their daddy and they have to love you liked they love me, their mommy" Amy replied.

"Oh Lord no, I am not ready for children, especially from their species. I am hoping we procreate Homo Novus' not go backwards in the chain" Sheldon cringed at the mere thought.

"I see…" Amy looked at him for a few moments. "So do you see us having children though?"

"Of course, yes. I definitely want us to have children someday; Amy, but I want you to myself for a while first, is that too much to ask?" Sheldon wanted to reassure her, but he wasn't ready to give up his private times like they just shared for anyone yet.

"No, not at all. I agree. I am not ready to share you yet either, but I do want us to have children in the future. We can reassess our feelings about this maybe in a year?" Amy suggested.

"Agree" Sheldon said as the noise increased. He leaned over and gave her a quick peck before hoping off of the workbench and helping her down. "Put this on before you go back there. It is bad enough the one monkey saw you naked. I don't want them all seeing you that way. You still are mine!" Sheldon exclaimed handing her the lab coat that had fallen to the ground. Amy took the coat in her hands and giggled. Putting it on, she buttoned it up and walked over to hand Sheldon another coat that was hanging by the door. "Here same goes for you too, Dr. Cooper!"


	61. Chapter 61:A Fatherly Sheldon

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

The two walked around the corner and saw that the monkeys were all in a tizzy. It seems that two of the monkeys were mating and the other monkeys were all worked up watching. Sheldon nearly lost it when he saw what was going on. "Oh Lord, don't tell me that was the monkey that saw us" he looked at Amy hoping he was wrong. Amy studied the monkeys but saw one sort of off by himself, hands over his eyes and rocking back and forth.

"No, he is over there, the one that is using his hands hiding his eyes. I think he must be very young. He may not appear that much in size but his behavior tells me either he has been stunted in development socially or he is very young" Amy observed. She opened up the cage and reached in to take the traumatized monkey into her arms, shielding him from the others. She then closed the cage and locked it again. "He is so upset" she said looking up at Sheldon.

Sheldon was looking over at the other monkeys and trying to figure out why they were so upset at the couple that was mating. "Why do you suppose they are upset with that mating couple?"

Amy shoved the shy monkey in her arms into Sheldon's arms and immediately opened the cage, pulling off the dominant male monkey off of the female, scooping up the poor female in her arms cradling her while she answered Sheldon "because she is already pregnant and the male monkey was raping this one."

Sheldon held the other monkey out from him at first, but then pulled him closer to him and eyes wide asked "How…how did you know that it was rape and that she is pregnant?"

Sheldon it is the second half of March and these monkeys breed in the fall and give birth in the spring. This poor little lady was being raped and by a bully male. She looked the little female over who was trying to hang on to her for dear life. She went over to a wall phone and looking at the extension list on the wall, called her grandfather. "Grandfather?" she started once he picked up the line "I need you to have a vet come and look at a female monkey that was just a victim of rape by another male. I also need to have the aggressive male removed from the project." Listening she nodded and said "yes that would work well. Thank you." The other monkeys were still in a rage and now beating on the aggressive male but he was holding his ground well. "Sheldon, can you put him in that isolation cage over there and then pull that aggressive monkey out?"

"Um, Amy, I….I…." Sheldon wide eyed looked over at the angry monkeys and wanted no part of it. He did walk over to an isolated cage and left the young male securely placed inside.

"Okay, then here, please hold her and keep her close to you. Comfort her while I go kick some butt" Amy said handing him the scared female monkey. She clung onto Amy before she put any trust in Sheldon, but he held her close to him and comforted her, stroking her softly, whispering to her that she would be okay. It calmed her down and she let loose of Amy's lab coat, allowing her to go deal with the other monkeys. She managed to pull the aggressive monkey out of the cage and get him put in a second isolation cage. Once she removed the offending male, the others seem to quiet down and study her.

"It's okay. I will make sure she is fine. Go back to playing" Amy instructed. As if they understood her they turned and went back to climbing and playing after a few moments passed. Amy then went over and gathered up her clothes and put them back on, leaving Sheldon still holding the female monkey while the shy monkey remained in his separate cage. Once she was dressed, she stepped back into the bathroom and straightened up her hair to her satisfaction and joined Sheldon. "Here, let me take her so you can get dressed. The vet may be here soon and…well…I am sure you would be more comfortable in clothing even though I don't mind the...um…view." She leaned over and took the female back and gave him a quick kiss. The female tried to cling to Sheldon, but then she sank into Amy as Amy soothed her with her voice, stroking her softly.

Sheldon quickly changed; placing the lab coat back over his clothing, then went into the bathroom and combed his hair with his fingers enough to be presentable in case the vet showed up. Joining Amy he could not help but look at the poor little female monkey. "Will she be okay?"

"I honestly don't know. I hope so, but the vet will need to look her over. She definitely is going to be traumatized. I have heard of cases like this, but never witnessed one first hand. While this breed is very promiscuous, they are only so during mating season, not at all during gestation. "

"Do you think the male could tell we were…you know…mating ourselves and that set him off?" Sheldon asked, feeling guilty.

"No, he had no view of us nor any idea what we were doing" Amy was not about to let Sheldon go there. She honestly didn't believe what they shared was what spurned off the aggressive behavior. "I think we should look at his chart. I suspect he was having an episodic drug-induced arousal, maybe even hallucinated and had no idea what he was doing."

Sheldon realized she was probably right and relaxed. "Do you want me to hold her while you study the charts?" he asked offering with his arms out in front of him. Even he could not believe he was reaching out to hold a monkey. He smirked at his progress. Amy had changed him and in a good way he decided.

"Well, well, well, Dr. Cooper. If I didn't know better, I would say you have a soft spot for this little girl here" Amy teased as she handed the monkey to Sheldon. "I can see I am going to have competition for your attention whenever we have a daughter."

"No, you will never have any competition, Amy. You will always be number one to me. I just thought it would be easier for you if I held her. I will admit that I feel bad for her. I hope she will be okay." Sheldon realized he probably would be a softy to a daughter, but Amy would always be number one in his eyes. He adored her with every breath he took.

The little female monkey nestled up to Sheldon again and began to fall asleep. She felt comfortable in his arms. Amy smiled at the cute sight as she started to search through files. Finding the file that she believed matched the monkey in question, she began to read. "I was right, she is pregnant. She is due next month. I am concerned, Sheldon, that this may not be a one-time rape of this poor little girl. She should be much larger considering how far along she is. Look at her stomach. It clear she has a baby bump so to speak, but it isn't very pronounced for how far along she is, nor are her breasts very developed."

Sheldon reddened at the breast remark, but looked down at the sleeping female monkey in his arms and couldn't help but feel bad for her. His eyes began to tear up at the thought that she might lose her offspring due to a violent act. He held her closer, stroking her as he did. She seemed to enjoy his touch and felt safe in his arms.

"I want to have the vet look at the shy monkey as well. He seems like he may be being abused. I am concerned about him" Amy added. She pulled his chart and read. "He was small when he was born, but according to this, highly intelligent compared to the other monkeys."

Sheldon jerked his head up, feeling immediate compassion for the little guy. "Amy, I don't want him put in the cage with the others. He is probably more evolved than them. He reminds me of me, and he probably is being bullied." He walked closer to the cage and looked in. The shy monkey stared at him. Sheldon said to the monkey "you are too smart for all of them. I am going to enjoy getting to be your friend." The shy monkey came over and held out his little hand. Sheldon reached toward the monkey hesitantly and the little guy took his finger and started to shake Sheldon's hand. "Look Amy, he is shaking my hand. He is remarkable!"

Amy smiled and said "Yes, he seems taken with you, not that I can blame the little guy. By the way, he is young. He is only about 5 months old."

A knock on the lab door startled both of them. Amy started to go over to the door when Sheldon said "Maybe I should answer. Can you take her?"

"It's okay Sheldon, it most likely is the vet. But if you want me to take her I can" Amy replied.

"Never mind, I will keep holding her, but I am going to be the one to answer the door." Sheldon walked over and asked "Who is it?"

"Dr. Cooper, this is Gordon. Dr. Wadsworth is here to look at a monkey. He is the vet Angus called." Sheldon unlocked the door and allowed the vet to enter.

After introductions the vet looked over both the young monkey and the female monkey first. He frowned when he examined the female. Sheldon kept her in his arms through the exam, to help keep her calm. She looked at the vet with very sad eyes. "I am concerned about this little lady" Wadsworth finally said. "I hear a faint second heart beat, but I am concerned that she is going to lose the baby. I would like to hospitalize her, but given the situation you two are in, and her trust in you both, I think she may be better off given treatments here instead. I am going to bring in some special equipment and staff that is approved by Angus to treat her here" Dr. Wadsworth recommended.

"I would prefer that, especially given the circumstances." Amy nodded in agreement. Sheldon did as well.

"This young male is very bright. He seems to have some socialization issues, however. Perhaps you can work on building up his confidence" the vet offered.

Amy knew these were supposed to be study animals, but she refused to let them be part of the study. She was determined to keep them from the rest of the community of monkeys and allow them to strengthen and then possibly be given to a zoo or a different environment where they would be safe. She took Wadsworth over to the aggressive monkey. Pulling the chart on him, she handed it to the doctor. It was as she had suspected. He had been addicted to cocaine, heroin and LSD. He was likely having an episodic attack on the female, losing all sense of what season he was in. Wadsworth recommended he be kept in solitary and that they be very careful in how he was approached as he was unpredictable due to his addictions.

Realizing that he was a perfect study animal, but was going to be a challenge, Amy decided to keep him, but only in isolation. She could not trust him with the other monkeys and she felt it would be easier to care for him if isolated. She needed the level of his addictions, however for her studies. He was a perfect candidate to pursue.

After the vet left to collect equipment and staff, Sheldon and Amy noticed that it was nearing lunch hour. The female monkey had fallen back asleep, once the vet quit examining her. Wadsworth had told Amy and Sheldon that she needed sleep and nourishment so to allow her to continue to sleep. Amy called up to explain to her grandfather the situation. It was decided he would send lunch down to them.

Amy went over to the refrigerator and pulled out food for all the other monkeys and put it in their cage. She slid some food into the aggressive monkey's cage and then brought out food for the other two monkeys. Covering a second workbench area, she brought out the young male and let him enjoy lunch. While he was eating, Amy brought over some paper and a pencil. She was curious what he would do. As soon as she put the pencil down, the young male picked it up and began to draw on the paper. While it was rudimentary, it still was an actual picture. "Sheldon, look" she said softly so as to not frighten the young male.

Sheldon walked over quietly and looked at the artwork. "Remarkable! Amy, he is so evolved! I am excited about him; I mean just think about what we can learn from observing him and what we might be able to teach him." The little monkey continued to draw. Suddenly Sheldon nearly jumped out of his skin "Look, he wrote an equation! I know it is a simple math equation, but still it is truly remarkable." Looking down at the monkey he said "I can teach you and you are going to be brilliant, famous for how smart you are." He was beyond enthusiastic about the prospect this little monkey offered.

"Calm down, let him do things at his pace, Sheldon. Let's observe him for a couple of days and then we will know how much he can be pushed."

Sheldon nodded and then looked at the little female in his arms. "I hope her little baby is going to be okay" Sheldon started to worry again. He felt so bad for her. She looked so resigned, like there was nothing to live for. "Amy, do you think monkeys have depression? She looks depressed, like she has no life in her."

"I think she is depressed, Sheldon. She likely was abused by other monkeys in the community as well. We will make sure to take care of her and her baby though. I won't let them do that to her."

"I want her to be comfortable. Can we make her a little bed or something?" Sheldon asked. He was so adorable as a concerned "father" over these monkeys. Amy couldn't help but be delighted in observing his parenting skills before they actually had children. She was convinced he was going to be an amazing doting father.

They tried to coax the little female to eat something and she nibbled a little, but really didn't take in as much food as Amy thought was a healthy level. "She needs to eat more, Sheldon. See if you can entice her to eat more." Sheldon spoke softly to the little female "You are going to have to be a good mommy and eat more for your baby. Your little baby needs more food. Please do it for me" and that was all it took for the little female to take in more food. He praised her and stroked her as she studied him while nibbling. Amy was giddy with how much the little female took to him. She finally fell back to sleep in his arms.

Their lunch arrived and they took turns holding the female so they could eat. Just as they were finishing up the vet returned with a fair amount of equipment, including monitors and other instrumentation. He even brought an ultrasound machine so he could look at the fetus. One of the equipment items was a larger bassinette style bed, elevated up to table level on wheels for the monkey to rest in and be observed more readily. The sides could be pulled down if need be, but it was also very comforting to be closed in, given her fear of being with others right now. Sheldon placed her in the little bed and let her hold his finger until she dozed back off to sleep. Her fingers released his enough he could slip his finger from her and be free to stretch and move.

"Sheldon, I want to go make a call. Do you want to stay with Dr. Wadsworth or come up with me?" Amy interrupted once the vet and his team began to work over the female monkey. The young male monkey was watching the vet. He walked over and pointed at some scaring on the female. The vet looked at the young monkey "thank you, yes I see it." Turning to Amy and Sheldon "this male is very bright. He was trying to help me see all the scars on her. She has been abused by a dominate male most likely the same one."

"Yes, he is remarkable. I relate to him quite well." Sheldon scooped up the young male in his arms and held him close. The male enjoyed the love he got from Sheldon. Obviously he was starving for love, which is why he took to Amy as well. "Do you think we can take him up with us while you are on the phone?"

"He may want to be here, Sheldon. He seems attached to the poor female. He has compassion for her for some reason. I don't know if she was a sibling or his mother, but he isn't happy with leaving her I don't think. Perhaps I will make my call later. Let's make sure our little lady is going to be okay."

After what seemed like a very long time, Wadsworth told Sheldon and Amy that the baby might make it, but that they would have to keep her well away from the others. He asked them to constantly reinforce loving behavior to her and to make sure she was well rested and nourished. He also gave her an infusion of vitamins and minerals to boost her energy. He included in the infusion a mild anti-depressant so that would not interfere with her pregnancy. His team would continue to observe for another 24 hours and then the rest was up to them. They had her lightly restrained so that she would not remove the IV lines going into her to help pump nutrients in her until her levels were at a more healthy level.

Once Sheldon and Amy knew that the little female would be okay and likely sleep for another couple of hours, they took the young male with them and went back up to their suite to place the call to Penny and a call to Bernadette. Amy wanted to make sure the girls were okay and that they would not worry about them. She thought maybe they heard more news on Ramona as well and wanted to see what they may have learned.

"Amy, I need you to hold him while I go empty my bowels" Sheldon said handing the male monkey to her. She gathered him up and held the young male close to her. "Of course, take your time. I will be fine with this little guy. I will wait and place the calls when you are finished taking care of business."

Amy walked over to the coffee table in the lounge area of their suite and flicked on the television. Flipping through channels she noticed that the male monkey seemed fascinated. She decided to see what channels he liked and disliked based on his reactions. Slowly, moving channel to channel she observed his behavior. It was clear he enjoyed the educational channels most. He seemed extremely agitated by cartoons. She assumed it might be because of the voices. He also enjoyed animal shows, but not any films. He didn't like anything that was a drama or sitcom or reality show, but didn't mind game shows, especially more challenging game shows. "Fascinating" she said just as Sheldon walked into the room.

"What's fascinating?"

"Oh, you are back. I was just flipping through channels slowly to see how this little guy would react to different channels. He seemed to enjoy the most animal shows, educational series shows and more challenging game shows. He didn't like movies, dramas, sitcoms, or reality shows."

"That is fascinating indeed. Here, let me take him so you can make your calls. We will stay in here and watch a documentary. I want to observe his behavior and perhaps see if I can teach him things" Sheldon was truly excited about doing something so interesting as to teach what he considered a candidate worthy of his time. It was clear he was connecting to the male monkey and the little monkey was smitten with him as well.

"Amanda? This is Emma" Amy hoped Penny had been well instructed and would not blow any of their cover.

"Emma! Oh my gosh I am so glad you called. I have been wondering if you would try and get hold of me. Are you okay?" Penny wanted so much to ask how her honeymoon was, but realized she would mess things up. She was going to have to be very careful and think before talking, something she wasn't necessarily good at.

"Yes, given the new assignment situation, as well as one could be. I can tell you that I have had euphoric moments, however." Amy hoped that would satisfy Penny's inquisitive mind about she and Sheldon because she was certain Penny could blow it if she wasn't careful.

Penny took a moment . "Hang on, I need to look something up" she said to Amy as she went over to her bookshelf and pulled down a dictionary. She looked up the word and realized it was what she thought it meant. She let out a squeal and then calmed herself down. "I am glad to hear it. I hope to learn details soon. Um…I am not sure…" Penny wasn't sure what she was allowed to say and felt frustrated that she couldn't talk like normal.

"Text me sometime and let me know when you are meeting with Jean-Marc at his office. Perhaps we can speak more freely then." Amy offered the solution because she knew that the whole phone conversation was awkward and not accomplishing at all what she had hoped. She wanted reassurance to hear her Bestie's voice and normal conversation. This was too strained.

"Gotcha. Yeah, I think that is best. I will text you soon."

They hung up. Penny threw a pillow across the room frustrated, just as Leonard walked into her apartment. "Whoa, whoa…whoa, whoa, whoa…what the heck is going on here?" he said trying to dodge the pillow.

"It's just that I got a call from...um…Amanda and I couldn't talk to her like normal."

"Oh, I know what you mean. This is really hard. But it is critical we are careful, you realize that, right?"

"Of course I do, but it doesn't mean I have to like it. Can we go to the project meeting room so I can text her and have her call? Can I talk more freely there?"

"I am going to have to get Siebert's clearance. I know you are on the project" he said using hand quotes, "but he was clear that only the three of us guys were allowed to use that space."

"Can we go there and see if he will let the rest of us on the project use the space?" Penny pleaded.

Leonard couldn't refuse her face so picked up his keys and said "Come on, let's go." They locked up and head to Cal-Tech, hoping to get an okay that she and Bernadette could use the secret room as well.

Mary Cooper was intrigued when she was asked to call the family together by someone from Interpol. She truly had never even heard of Interpol and wasn't sure why she was complying but had the family assembled.

When Captain Ignacias arrived, he had a crew of five men with him. They immediately showed her a warrant to search her house for any sort of monitoring devices. He explained it was essential before he could speak with her and explain to her the need. A couple of hours passed when the all clear sign was given and they were able to start their conversation. Ignacias explained the situation that Amy and Sheldon found themselves in and why they were going to have to use pseudo names. He explained about the secure phones that they must use for now on when conversing and he asked that they try to hold all conversations with the two from a secured location, handing them the address, for now on out. Also, any family discussions about the couple had to be held at the same address instead of in the home. He explained the gravity of the situation and had them sign documents agreeing.

"What is being done to fix this" George asked. He wasn't bright, but he also felt like this situation was ridiculous and that action needed to be taken. "Is there anything we can do to help?"

"Yes, stick to the names on the list, do not imply relationships, do not ask about them as if they are married, do not imply anything that could help anyone gain any information on them or where they may be. Keep to essentials" Captain Ignacias replied.

"What about if a family emergency came up?" Mary asked still wide-eyed an shocked at what she had just learned about her son. "I mean what if someone gets in an accident or ends up hospitalized for some reason?"

"You may call and relay this code word" the captain said, pointing to the word "imbroglio", just text that word only, nothing else. It is the word used to inform them that there is an emergency. You will receive a return contact from a trusted individual to learn more if that should be required."

Mee-Maw had sat through the entire presentation without saying a word. Her mind had been running wild thinking and trying to determine the severity as well as a way they can be useful.

"There will be details assigned to each of you, but you are to treat them as if you know them from the past, like family friends. They will be keeping you safe. If you have any questions, you asked the detail assigned you. Each of you will be given three each for varying shifts. Here is a list of your details assigned and their names. You will always be called by your given names by them unless you are in the meeting room at the address I gave you. There you will only be called by your code names. They are all skilled at throwing off anyone following and they will be watching for that. So you can feel free going about your daily activities as always, but just making sure to avoid any conversation about Sheldon and Amy . You are free to say simple things like "I sure hope the kids are having a nice honeymoon" or something that implies you have not been in touch. But beyond that, you are not to mention them outside of the meeting room. Any family meetings can be held in that room as well if you feel a need to discuss them."

"Captain Ignacias, can you update us on what has been done to resolve this circumstance, well at least what will not jeopardize them further?" Mee-Maw finally spoke up.

"I am afraid I cannot share anything useful to you. All I can say is that we have our cream of the crop working around the clock to resolve this. We are thankful to our counterparts in the FBI, CIA and Scotland Yard who have been involved in trying to assist. I can tell you that we have also gotten the Royal Intelligence Corp of Malaysia, and about ten other international intelligence agencies working on this case as well. We are thankful for all of the cooperation we are receiving."

With that the Cooper family could not think of another thing they could ask as they were all overwhelmed. Then took the phones they had been given, as well as lists and documents that they were to keep in very secure locations and saw the captain and his men out. Looking at each other they knew they could not say a word, but words were not necessary. The concern on their faces spoke it all.


	62. Chapter 62: Celia's Story

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Amy called Bernadette next, but was still frustrated from the previous call with Penny. She hated having to be so guarded.

"This is Mrs. Peabody" Bernadette awkwardly answered.

"It's Emma. I called to make sure you had been briefed" Amy opened the conversation.

"Yes, thank you. I am glad to be on the project. Sherman was about to text John. Expect to receive it soon." Bernadette said. Boy she hated this. She felt extremely unsure of herself and she had not felt that in a long time. Afraid to reveal anything, she kept a very businesslike manner when all she wanted to do was hug her friend, have a girls' night with her and hear all about her honeymoon.

Amy sat trying to figure out a way to let Bernie know that she is fine and that she and Sheldon have found time to enjoy their honeymoon. "I just wanted you to know that the honeybees have been busy buzzing as if producing." Quite proud of herself, she hoped that Bernie would get it.

Bernie sat for a moment trying to decipher the message. Then she burst out laughing and said "Good, I am sure the results were very sweet" she returned back.

Amy giggled and replied "Yes, sweet indeed. " From the other room, Amy could hear a Sheldon.

"Drats! I need to put you in a diaper young man. Now I am going to have to go wash up. Next time signal to me so I can make sure you are in a proper place for relieving yourself and extracting your bowels" Sheldon was talking to the young monkey as if he were a child, firm, but not cruel. The little monkey looked at him and then covered his eyes, shying away. Sheldon realized that he didn't know better so pulled him close to him and said "you will learn, it wasn't your fault. We still love you anyway." The little monkey uncovered his eyes and looked up at Sheldon. He leaned over and gave Sheldon a kiss on the cheek. "Now no need for that sort of thing. Save that for Amy."

Amy had been standing in the doorway, cord extended while she was talking on the phone to see Sheldon interact with the monkey. She was amused and had to stifle her laugh. She walked back into the room and continued her conversation with Bernadette. The two girls cut their conversation fairly short because they had long pregnant pauses while trying to hold a vague conversation that was driving them nuts.

Amy returned to the room to find Sheldon had used the spare bathroom to clean up and clean up the monkey. He was sitting in a chair with the young male monkey talking to him as if a child. She could not help but smile, something she needed after two frustrating calls.

"You should be hearing from Howard soon. Bernie said he was about to text you." Amy broke the moment.

"Oh, perhaps we should take this little guy back downstairs and check on the little mama monkey, so that way when he texts we can feel comfortable returning the call." Amy nodded in agreement and the two left for the lab.

Securing the young monkey and checking on the little mother monkey. They saw that she was still asleep and being well watched by the vet staff on duty. Sheldon and Amy finally head back upstairs to rest, clean up again and get ready for dinner.

"I can't believe he peed and pooped on me" Sheldon still felt filthy by the experience. "I need to shower."

Amy giggled and said "I can't believe you didn't freak out, but instead you acted like a father. You were amazing."

"You saw and did nothing?" Sheldon was surprised to know she had witnessed that embarrassing moment.

"When I heard you scream, I went to look at what was going on and I saw you explaining to the little guy that he needed to let you know next time" Amy still was struggling to keep from laughing. "Would you like me to join you in the shower?"

"Um…perhaps we both should take a quick shower first in the second bath and then move for a joint shower into our bath?" Sheldon didn't want Amy near him while he still felt contaminated from the non-existent poop and pee on him since he had cleaned up once before and changed clothes. He couldn't get the image out of his mind and to him he still felt like it was on him.

Understanding Sheldon's mind about what had happened, she nodded and agreed. "Go ahead and then you move over to the other shower while I quickly shower here before joining you."

It didn't take any convincing at all to the plan. "Yes, that would be acceptable." He began stripping off clothing practically on his way to the second bath. He quickly scrubbed down and after rinsing, did a second scrub down just in case and rinsed. Stepping out he dried himself off and wrapped the towel around him as he left the bath so that he could move to the other bath. Before leaving, however, he sprayed down the shower and especially the shower floor so that Amy would not become infected from any germ residue. Walking out of the room he said "It's all yours" and continued to head to the other bath.

Amy shook her head as she entered the bath and stripped down. Stepping inside the shower, she could smell the disinfectant and giggled. She quickly scrubbed and rinsed and just like Sheldon, followed it a second time and rinsed. Stepping out she dried herself and grabbed the disinfectant spray, applying it all over the walls and floor. Satisfied, she wrapped a towel around her, gathering both of their pairs of dirty clothes and exited the room. She tossed their soiled clothing in the hamper on her way to the master suite shower. Washing her hands before getting in…she did, after all, touch the dirty clothing again. Stepping inside, a very amorous Sheldon awaited. They didn't even bother turning on the water yet, opting to ravish each other first, reserving the hot water. Nearly 45 minutes of intense foreplay and lovemaking in the shower, they finally switched on the water and cleansed.

Once dressed, they realized they had only about 30 minutes before dinner. "Should we check on the monkeys before dinner?" Sheldon asked.

"No, let's wait until after in case we decide we might need to touch them again" Amy suggested. Sheldon nodded in agreement. "How about if we just go down and see if Grandfather is in the sitting room and perhaps join him for a before-dinner beverage. We can discuss what we learned with Howard and see if any progress from his team has been made. Also, we can update him on the situation in the lab."

"Yes, I agree that would be wise. I do want to leave time tonight for us to call Howard back and see if we can learn any more from him."

"Speaking of Howard, did you check your phone? I forgot that he may have texted you while we were otherwise engaged in the shower" Amy said with a wide grin across her face. "Boy that was amazing, by the way, Dr. Cooper. You never cease to thrill me."

"Glad to hear it, Dr. Cooper. I aim to please. I must admit, you never cease to thrill me either. And in answer to your original question, no I should check my phone now." Walking over to the desk where he had set his phone he picked it up and turned it on. Sure enough there was a text from "Sherman" to call when he could. "Yep, he sent a text to call. Should I do that now or after dinner?"

"Well since we have about a half hour before dinner, just in case he has something we need to relay to Grandfather, perhaps you should call him now. Just try to keep it rather short if you can so we can spend a little time with Grandfather too" Amy recommended.

Sheldon nodded and punched in Howard's cell number. "Sherman, it's John. Is everything okay? What do you have for us?"

"God, John, hold on. Give me a minute. I have to change locations and also grab a file. Hang on."

Sheldon put the phone on speaker while he waited for Howard to move to the secret meeting room.

Howard unlocked the door to the secret meeting room and switched on the light. Closing the door and locking it behind him, leaving his escort on the other side of the room, he put the phone back up to his ear "Okay…I am glad you finally called. It took you long enough."

"Is there an urgency? I am sorry, I was..um…busy" was all Sheldon could even begin to reveal for more reasons than the obvious.

"Yeah, I get it. Well no real urgency, but I came in super early this morning to get this to you. Anyway let me start with Celia. She has not had any previous boyfriends, as in ever. Sure plenty of Johns, no pun intended, but no true boyfriends. She actually is more into girls. John, she is lesbian. She has no issue sleeping with men because she has been in the porn business since she was young, but she isn't into men."

"I guess I didn't see that one coming" Sheldon was surprised. "Okay, so is there a purpose to knowing about her sexual preferences?"

"Yes. She not only is a very vocal and radical gay rights activist, but she also has some lesbian friends that have their own little plans. Every member of her clique of friends has radical ties. All of them adhere to the SCUM Manifesto, are members of lesbian separatism, some of the Irish IRA, some have connections to the Taliban, and rumors of some having cartel ties, and of course Celia with the Brotherhood and I am sure there were more but that was all I spent time searching on her associates. I figured it gave us a decent enough picture. "

"So… an angry woman with an axe to grind?" Sheldon still wasn't sure of the relevancy.

"Well sort of. I would say more like an unbalanced woman with an axe to grind. Not that her being a lesbian make her unbalanced. Personally I could care less about that part, but she purposely seeks out extremists, I guess that is more my point. Her lifestyle is irrelevant other than you asked about former lovers."

"Ah, I see. So could any of these other women associates of hers be encouraging her with the whole Hazim/Faisal connection?"

"Yes, I believe so, but don't have proof of that yet."

"Don't spend any more time on that. We can have others involved on this end to dig deeper if need be. What else do you have?"

"The other thing about Celia's associations is many of them do have doctorate degrees. After digging and having some local resources on the project here do some finagling, we were able to determine that Celia did not legitimately earn her doctorate. There were money trails by some of the porn companies that hired her, she claims to pay for her degree, yes some of her cohorts were very gracious in helping ensure she graduated. I suspect she may not have even earned her Bachelor's either, but we haven't dug that far into her past yet. The same may be true of Ramona as well."

Amy and Sheldon looked at each other. "It's as we guessed" Sheldon finally said. "It makes you wonder what other people you work with who may have hired their way to their positions."

"I think it becomes clear real quick if they are not legit, especially in your line of work" Amy tried to reassure Sheldon, although she was herself wondering the same thing. After all, Ramona was hired into her own project and worked with her for a month with no one being the wiser. While she had her suspicions about the woman, she still would not have assumed completely that she was not fully qualified.

"Anything else?" Sheldon asked.

"I am still digging. But no. Not for now. I just thought you would want the information on Celia for now."

"Good work again, Sherman. So keep digging on all fronts and if you dig up more, text me. I will call you back."

"Sounds good; as always, thank the team for their efforts and send our appreciation to everyone" Sheldon said, feeling odd that he couldn't be more personal.

"Gotcha, yeah, I will. Talk again soon."

After disconnecting the call, Sheldon and Amy walked hand in hand down to the sitting room to await dinner. Angus was there reading a journal when they walked into the room.

"Grandfather, it is good to see you. I have missed you today" Amy said, walking over and kissing him on the cheek.

"As I have you, my dears. So you had a bit of a troublesome morning in the lab I hear."

Sheldon interrupted "Yes, it was horrible. A little female monkey was being raped by one of the male monkeys. It was very disturbing."

"A little shy male monkey, as well as the female monkey that had been raped took quite a shining to Sheldon. His compassionate heart immediately took to them as well. He always stands for the underdog" Amy boasted, smiling wide.

"Don't ever lose that kind heart of yours, Sheldon. It is a gift" Angus immediately warned.

"I will try to never lose it, although I have been told often that I am a robot so many don't think I am capable of caring" Sheldon replied.

"Far from it, but if they want to think that way, it puts you on good ground. It means you can have the heart, but the façade that keeps them guessing, giving you leverage" Angus' eyes twinkled at the thought of the advantages Sheldon had with such a combination.

"Grandfather, right before we came down, we spoke to Howard and received another update" Amy changed topics.

"Yes, it is quite interesting what we learned, although it may take some of your agents to dig deeper to see what the significance could be relative to this situation" Sheldon interjected.

"So what was it that he learned?" Angus was intrigued.

"It seems that Celia, although heavily involved in the porn industry doing heterosexual porn videos and print material, is far from a heterosexual. She is a lesbian with radical and terrorist ties. Also, she didn't earn her doctorate without the payment and help of her fellow lesbian friends."

"Do you know what terrorists cells she and her friends are associated with, other than the Brotherhood that is?" Angus was unsure if it would relate or not.

"Yes, all of her immediate group of friends adhere to the SCUM Manifesto and are members of lesbian separatism. Some of them have ties to the Irish IRA; some have connections to the Taliban, cartel ties, and of course through Celia herself, the Brotherhood."

"Interesting. Yes, I will have others get on it right away. It might help us know the breadth as well as the depth of agencies involved and what we are up against."

"Do you both mind if we suspend discussions about this any further tonight? I would sort of relish the idea of having a night off and just enjoy being family for a change. Speaking of family, Grandfather, have Jane and Father been updated and can we contact them yet?"

"They should have been briefed by now, as well as Sheldon's family. Before you ever call anyone on either sides of your family, however, you must always text first and allow them to give you a good time to call as they have been instructed to only speak to you at very specific, secure locations. When you speak, you are not to acknowledge relationship of any sort to anyone; therefore you can't say anything about your relationship with them and vice versa. Nor can you ask about them in terms of past knowledge of them. You can only act as if they are other colleagues assigned to the project."

"But won't they worry about how we are? I mean I don't want to put any stress on Sheldon's Mee-Maw or his family" Amy started to whine. She hated this constant charade they had to keep up.

"Amy, this is for you and Sheldon's own protection. I am trying to keep you both alive and remove any danger so that you eventually can get back home. By the way, while you are here, I have an agent and his family living in your home to appear as if you are never returning to Pasadena, for those watching for you. Also to keep your house protected and your things protected. They promised to actually live mainly in the guest rooms only. They will keep the timers on the lights and follow routines that appear like they are a real family living there, but don't want to bother anything that could be personal so will avoid the upstairs completely and the basement completely. They will remain in the guest suite and kitchen areas primarily, as well as the living room. They will make sure to have family and friends visit them for a meal now and again to keep it realistic. "

"I was wondering about our home. What about our utility bills and other mail?"

"All of your mail has been forwarded to a PO Box that the agent has a key to. He is watching it and separating out personal from bills and junk mail. Any personal things are being shipped over internally so you will start to see some things come from family and it will be a way you can keep in touch. We will have the reverse happen as well; agents will take mail of yours and personally deliver it to your family, who has been instructed to shred it immediately after reading it and then giving the shredded pieces to agents to have incinerated in a secure location. We wanted to find a way to make sure you still had a way to assure each other that you are alive and well. However, you are never to mention where you are at, not matter the addressee, nor are you to indicate anything that can make them think you are still in protective custody. If anything, just don't indicate much about your situation other than that you are alive, happy, healthy, and things like that."

Angus continued on. "As for your bills, they are being paid by the agent living in the home. Your funds have been frozen so no one is allowed to touch them for now. Your salaries are actually coming into an account here under a pseudo name of mine so that you can instruct me how you want to spend some of those funds while here. Since you won't be able to shop, you will have to trust me on such matters, unfortunately. I hope you are okay with my presumption."

"Grandfather, I trust you completely and yes, that is fine. Besides, we should be helping pay expenses while here. We are using utilities and much of your home for our own purposes."

"I concur, Sir. I have no objection at all."

"Good because I am using part of those funds to send back to the agent living in your home to help offset the utility expenses and yard upkeep. I want you to be able to return to a lovely home and not one that has a dead set of plants and lawn. Also if any repairs be required, the funds will be used for those purposes as well."

"That makes me feel better. I hate to be indebted to anyone" Amy said. Sheldon nodded in agreement as well.

Looking at his watch, Angus said "Enough about that, what do you say we go share dinner and a nice after dinner tea."

"That sounds lovely and I would really like that. No more shop talk of any sort" Amy commanded.

After dinner and tea, Sheldon and Amy excused themselves and slipped down to check on the monkeys. Sheldon could not get either of them off of his mind. Amy was also concerned about them. When they entered the lab, both monkeys heard their voices and immediately looked over to them with faces that said it all. They had been waiting for their "parents" to return. It melted their hearts.

"How is she doing" Amy asked the attending vet.

"She slept up until about 30 minutes ago and then she looked around. I think she was actually hoping to see you or your husband because she seemed sad after she couldn't find what she was seeking. But her vitals are much better and the baby's heart beat is getting stronger."

"May I hold her?" Amy asked. "I can make sure that I don't disturb her lines."

"Sure, I think she would like that."

Removing the restrains, Amy carefully picked her up, paying attention to her lines. "Sheldon, can you move that stool over here so that I can sit on it with her?" Sheldon obliged and then walked over to the young male. He removed him from his cage and held him. The male took his little hand and reached up touching Sheldon's cheek. He then gave Sheldon a big toothy grin. Sheldon could not help but draw him closer to him and stroked the monkey's cheek with his finger. "I missed you too" Sheldon whispered to the monkey.

The female also gave Amy a grin and clung to Amy. Amy held her close and began to stroke her and rock her a little. She softly told the little female "Your baby is getting stronger and so are you. I am so proud of you. You have to continue to fight for your baby and I will be here to take care of both of you. So will…Daddy" she looked over at Sheldon and shrugged hoping he wouldn't mind.

"Um…well…I guess I could be called worse things" Sheldon finally conceded. He wasn't thrilled about being called a father to a monkey, but at the same time he couldn't help but feel fatherly to the two monkeys. He wanted to protect them and make sure they had every chance to survive and feel loved. He knew all too well how hard it was to be surrounded by people who treated you as if you were different and shunned you. He didn't want that for either of these two monkeys.

"Have the other monkeys been behaving?" Amy asked the vet.

"Well the aggressive male had to be put under General Anesthesia in order to help him come down from his state. He is still being administered general and will be for the next 24 hours. I know he is important to your study, but he was too destructive to himself and the lab."

"Okay, well at least there will be peace for the next few hours. How long do you think she will remain awake and once she sleeps, will it be through the night since her schedule is all off?"

"Yes we will keep administering nourishment but also a light Melatonin based sedative to help her sleep when you are ready to have me put her to bed. She will likely sleep until around 8 AM."

"We will stay down here for a little while longer and then yes, I want it administered to her before I set her down so that she will be asleep before I leave. I will try to be back down around 7:30 AM so that I can be here when she rises." Amy wanted the little female to feel love and not abandonment. "How about the young male; has he slept at all while we have been away from the lab?"

"No he has been awake and mainly observing us. He is a very Curious George indeed. He loves to watch. He seems protective of her as well."

"Yes. I haven't had a chance to read their histories, but I believe there must be some association because she somehow means something to him the way he protects her."

As Sheldon walked around talking and pointing out things to the young male, the young male was mesmerized. He observed all that Sheldon pointed to him. He seemed as if he understood, but it was too soon to tell. Finally Sheldon sat down and just cuddled the little male, rocking a bit. The monkey's little eyelids finally could not stay open any longer and Sheldon soon was holding a fast asleep monkey. He held him for a while, letting him rest in his arms before Sheldon walked over to the isolation cage and lay the monkey back down carefully trying to not disturb him. Once he was satisfied the monkey was still asleep, he closed the door quietly and locked it.

Amy looked down and the female had fallen asleep as well. "Thanks for administering the sedative. I will set her down and then we will be back down around 7:30 AM. If anyone relieves you of your shift, please instruct them to call the extension to our suite immediately should either the male or female wake up." Setting the female down, Sheldon and Amy thanked the vet and head back up to their suite.

Both washed their hands immediately and pulled out night clothing. Stripping they showered together, but only cleansed themselves. After drying off, they put on their night clothes and climbed into bed. Cuddling each other, they soon were fast asleep.


	63. Chapter 63: Guess Who's in Texas?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Hazim landed in Dallas late in the afternoon and began to leave the airport in a rented car. Heading Southeast he sped along the highway and then began to follow the GPS system until it led him to a small charming town that had quaint homes that lined it's streets. He checked into a small bed and breakfast and then walked down the street to a small diner-like cafe to have an early dinner. Ordering his meal, he looked out the window and watched walkers-by.

Mary and Missy were looking in store windows and decided that they would stop and have an early dinner. They entered the diner and noticed it was still early enough that there were only a couple of tables occupied. Mary immediately noticed the stranger in town. He was not hard to miss. She eyed him and decided that she and Missy would sit on the opposite side of the restaurant.

Once seated, Mary leaned into Missy and whispered, "not a word about your twin, we are being watched". The two escorts that were in charge of following Mary and Missy wandered in a few minutes later and strategically sat down at a nearby table. It was clear they had viewed Hazim upon entering the diner. They sat between the girls and Hazim. The one facing Hazim watched him discreetly while the other escort kept Mary and Missy well within sight at all times.

Mary, being a woman who always was brave walked up to the counter, pretending to be looking over the displayed deserts. She looked over at Hazim and smiled and said "Hello, are you just passing through or do you have family in the area?"

Hazim seemed surprised by her boldness. "Hello, yes. I am here on business."

"Really? I didn't know we had much other than local businesses in town that would bring in someone from out of the area."

"I am just passing through. My business is elsewhere." Hazim was rattled by her boldness. He hated the woman already because she was so outspoken.

"Well, may the Lord Jesus travel with you and keep you safe. Would you like to attend our services tonight?" Mary smiled so sweetly, innocently, and purposefully. She figured if she could convert a 'sinner 'like this man, it would be a feather in her cap with the Lord.

Hazim burned with fire inside of him. He was furious that she would even mention the name Jesus, much less call Him Lord. "No thank you. I don't believe in your Jesus." It took all within him to not perform an act of jihad right then and there.

"Oh but Sugar, the Lord Jesus loves you. He made you as beautiful as you are. You realize you are a handsome man, don't you? It isn't by chance you are handsome. He made you that way so you could attract other men and women to Him. You also appear to be fairly well to do. That isn't by coincidence either. He gave you all those trinkets and beautiful suits you own. You owe it to Him to worship Him."

Hazim curled his fists and steam was coming out of his ears. This woman was truly remarkable. He had no idea why, but her boldness had to be admired as much as he hated her at the same time. He found her unbelievably crass. In his country, she would be beheaded for such behavior. Yet there was a charm about her that could not be denied and he found himself drawn to her. She had a kindness about her that seemed to seep from her pores, yet a formidability that was undeniable.

"In my country, we don't allow men to mix with women, especially when the women are strangers to us and definitely not when worshipping Allah" Hazim finally firmly replied.

Laughing a bit she retorted, "Well now how silly is that? If it wasn't for women, you wouldn't even exist. You need a woman to bring you men into the world, to nurture you, teach you and keep you safe. And then you want to shun them? Well I have never heard anything so silly in my life. But you are not in your country and you are welcome to mix with both men and women to worship the Lord. Now, you seem liked a learned man. I suspect that you like to learn. So why not come learn about the Lord Jesus who is kind and loving and who heals. I am sure there are plenty of demons running around inside of that head or yours that He can deliver you from" Mary continued with her veracity, gesticulating while she talked.

Hazim crossed both of his arms over his chest; his fists still curled, and narrowed his eyes. Even though his eyes were dark by nature, he managed to somehow darken them even further. The anger was evident, yet he still could not seem to move. He just could not believe the audacity and veracity of this woman, yet he was still drawn by the feminine charm of Mary.

Missy had been watching this and the man's reaction and decided to join her mother in being bold. Strolling over, making sure to show off her long legs to her advantage she came up beside her mother and said, "Well Sugar, I heard you talkin' to my Mama and she is so right. Just think of all you are depriving yourself of when you have the Lord God Almighty who created everything on this earth wantin' to give you more. We would enjoy it so much if you would join us" Missy enticed. She winked at Hazim, flirting as came natural to her. She wet her lips with her tongue, without even realizing she was doing it.

Hazim was entranced, looking at her. He had to admit that she was stunningly beautiful. Her blue eyes were very alluring, not to mention the rest of her. He found himself getting aroused by her beauty. The charm of the woman she called her mother was undeniable, but Missy's charm could easily entice a man away from everything important to him. Waking up to his senses, he had had enough. He tossed money on the table and with his closed fists stomped out of the restaurant, fully rattled. He had no idea why, but he nearly agreed to go with the two women he left in the restaurant and he had never found himself willing to walk into a Christian church ever in his life. He turned and looked back at the diner and through the window at the two women who had since walked back to their table and resumed a conversation between them. Befuddled he was mad when he realized they were the two he had come to town to try and spy on to see what they might accidently reveal about Sheldon and Amy. Instead, they managed to foil his plans. They would pay for that, he swore to himself.

Missy and Mary giggled at their success. "Mama you are so incorrigible" Missy exclaimed.

"Well Honey…that man could use a good deliverance and who knows, he could have possibly been led to the Lord. Another heathen converted is always a good thing. Besides, I knew what he was up to. It don't take a genius to figure it out." At her last remark, Mary suddenly lost her smile and began to look out the window feeling melancholy. She worried about Sheldon and Amy. She wondered how they were and whether they were safe. Missy understood and reached out to pat her mother's hand.

"It'll all be all right. Now if we see that man again, we will just have to try harder to lead him to the good Lord" Missy teased.

The two escorts came over and warned Mary and Missy to be careful and to avoid that same kind of danger they had just faced. He explained that they were playing with fire. Mary just waved them off.

"Sugar, we were not in any danger. The Good Lord was watching over us and making sure we were gonna be just fine. Besides you two strong gentlemen were right here watching over us" Mary smiled with confidence. "That man may think he can get away with treating women as second class citizens in his country, but he ain't gonna get away with it here. Besides, maybe he will convert. Who knows?"

Rolling her eyes, Missy said, "Mom, let's just keep low key for now. We don't want to make things worse."

Mary nodded, realizing that she didn't want to make anything worse for Sheldon. She just wished she could hear his voice and know he was okay.

Hazim had returned to the Bread and Breakfast and was fuming. As he stewed for a while, pacing in the room, he tried to figure out what his next step should be. He realized that he blew it and should have either agreed to go with the woman so he could later follow them, or at least lie in wait to follow them. Perhaps they were still there. He got back up and gathered up his keys, leaving the room in a hurry. He jogged back to the diner and looked in the window. But he realized it was too late. The women were no longer there. Eyeing the street, he looked to see if they might still be looking in store windows, but they were nowhere in sight.

Sheldon and Amy woke and looked at the time. It was around 6:30 AM their time and Amy wanted to make sure they were down to the lab by 7:30. Sheldon had other ideas on his mind at the moment. He began to kiss his wife and caress her. She relented but only after she said "just let's make this a quickie since we need to get down to the lab". Sheldon ignored her comment and continued to work his magic on her. About 30 minutes later, however, both were recovering from their love-making and realized they had only 30 minutes to get down to the lab, meaning they would have to eat a later breakfast. Tossing the covers back, Sheldon hopped out of bed and held out his hand to his wife. "Come on, we have to shower quickly if we are going to be ready in time."

Amy gave him a mock-glare and said "if somebody had not insisted on being satisfied this morning, we would have had time to shower, dress and eat breakfast before going to the lab. Now I am going to have to wait for my morning tea, which means by the time I get something it is probably going to have to be coffee because I will want something stronger. Not that I am complaining…." She leapt out of bed and joined her husband. They showered quickly and brushed their teeth. After dressing, both walked hand in hand down to the lab, followed by their dutiful escorts.

It was about 7:30 on the dot when they managed to walk into the lab. "Good morning. How is the little mother and our little male doing?" Both Amy and Sheldon were busy putting on lab coats, buttoning them up, and placing protective gloves over their hands.

"Amy, point of reference…did you look to see if these monkeys have names? I get tired not calling them by their names" Sheldon interjected.

"Sheldon, they don't. No one named them. They only went by numbers" Amy replied, as she was studying their files. "However, I was right about something. It ends up the male was born to the female's sibling. His mother died and the female has been raising him so far. That is why he is so protective of her and watches over her" Amy remarked. "Do you want to name them?"

"Hmm…let me see." He walked over and studied the male. "I want to name him Lenny, short for Leonard as in Susskind" Sheldon said.

"Lenny it is. I think that fits him" Amy nodded in agreement. Amy knew that he really wanted to name him after his former roommate but was too proud to admit such sentiment. She studied the female who was still in her little bed. "How about if we call her Samira after Samira Bellil who overcame gang rapes" Amy suggested they call the pregnant female.

"Seems appropriate since she was a rape victim" Sheldon admitted. "Okay so we now call them Samira and Lenny."

"Yes, I am noting their new names in their charts" Amy said as she was writing in their files.

Lenny woke up first and was excited when he saw "his parents" were there. Sheldon took him out and said "Young man, your name is now Lenny. I want you to get used to your name so you will know it when we talk to you." Walking over to the female in the bed still asleep, he pointed at her "and her name is Samira. I will teach you later…hopefully you can learn…to print out your names." Sheldon walked over to the refrigerator and pulled out some food for both Lenny and Samira. He gave Lenny his share.

Amy stayed watching Samira and talking to the vet assistant. "Have the other monkeys been fed this morning?"

"Yes, Dr. Cooper. They have been fed and Charlie, Gordon's son, came and cleaned the cages."

"Oh good; I was going to ask if there were any young people that might want to make extra money and clean the cages, provide water, feed, and play with the monkeys to keep them active and healthy, yet clean."

"Yes, Charlie has been taking care of them for your Grandfather ever since they were moved here. He comes here twice a day, in the morning and evening."

"Noted; I trust that he knows to not speak of his duties to anyone outside of Grandfather's compound?" Amy inquired.

"Yes, but he is homeschooled anyway so the only children he associates with are here on the compound as well."

Amy looked down and saw the female stirring. "Good morning, Samira" she said as she pulled Samira close to her, careful to not disturb the lines still attached to the young mother. Samira looked up at Amy and grinned. She heard Sheldon talking to Lenny and turned to look to find where they were at. Upon seeing them she let out a squeal and grinned.

Sheldon turned toward the noise and saw her grin. "Well good morning, Samira. I was just showing Lenny around." He walked over and gave her a few strokes of acknowledgment. Samira reached over and grabbed his finger, pulling him toward she and Amy. Sheldon stepped up close to both and Samira leaned over and gave Lenny a kiss on the cheek. Lenny kissed her cheek back and they squealed with excitement.

"Will anyone else be coming by to join you in the lab today?" Amy asked Eileen,the vet assistant.

"Yes, Stanley, another vet in training, is coming soon. He is to be here by 8. He was going to help me play with all the monkeys and observe them. Will you be planning any tests today to be run?"

"No, today we will let everyone settle down from the disturbances yesterday. I will resume tests tomorrow. Let's just let everyone adjust. Just keep Samira and Lenny separate from the others, especially the aggressive male. Is he going to continue to be kept under anesthesia?"

"Yes, he is to be on it for another 8 hours and then the doctor will see if he needs to be kept under longer."

"Okay thank you." Just as Amy said that, Stanley walked in. She was happy about that because she wanted to leave Samira and Lenny with Eileen and Stanley so that she and Sheldon could go back upstairs and have breakfast. After introductions, Eileen took Samira and Stanley took Lenny, relieving Sheldon and Amy so they could go eat. The couple took off gloves and lab coats, scrubbed their hands and lower arms before they moved toward the door. Sheldon turned toward Lenny as they were heading out the door, "we will be back in a little while. Be good and behave. I don't want to have to hold any strikes against you."

Amy giggled as they head out of the lab, removing their lab coats and gloves. "Really Sheldon; strikes against monkeys?"

"Yes, they are intelligent, at least Lenny is and I think Samira is as well. They will learn."

Amy shook her head, amused at her husband. She could see he was going to be a very interesting father. If she didn't want him to herself right now, she really would consider starting a family. But she knew that she wanted her alone time with him first. If he had changed his mind about starting a family, she was pretty convinced she would agree, but she secretly hoped he was willing to wait a bit longer.

"I would like to see if we can reach my mother today" Sheldon said. "I am sure if they have been briefed she is going to want to hear from me. Also, I think it will ease Mee-Maw's mind to know that Mom has heard from me."

"Okay, I want to call home as well and talk to Mom and Dad" Amy said.

"I haven't heard you call Jane Mom ever since we learned…" Sheldon started, but couldn't finish.

"I know. I call her Jane to you and Angus, mainly to keep it clear which mother I am talking about, and while here, in honor of my natural mother, it feels weird to be calling another woman Mom; know what I mean? I just feel like I should honor Iona and acknowledge the great sacrifice she made to make sure I could be brought into the world and taken care of."

"You have such a heart of love, Amy Farrah Cooper" Sheldon smiled and leaned down to kiss her.

"I do love her, even though I never met her. I love Jane as the woman that raised me and is the only mother I have known as well. But I just want to keep them straight while in Iona's home. She lived here and walked these halls."

"Do you ever imagine her here?" Sheldon started looking around at the mansion, not really giving it that much heed before. Sure he had noticed it and looked it over the first day, but thinking about walking in places where Amy's mother had walked, well it was just something to ponder. He thought a lot about Iona, thankful for Amy and the sacrifice she made to bring Amy into the world. So thinking about her walking the same halls, it made him want to thank her. He noted that when he could do so, he would walk somewhere where Angus could show him she specifically enjoyed and go in that room and say thanks.

"Sometimes, I do; I should find out where she liked to be in the house. Maybe the sitting room was a favorite of hers. Or whatever room, I would like to know it and feel her presence in it."

"Yes, I can understand that."

The couple rounded the corner and saw Angus. "Grandfather…good morning; we are sorry to be late, but we wanted to be down in the lab when our two isolated monkeys were to wake up so they would not be so afraid"

"Top of the mornin' to you both. Yes, I imagined you might be down in the lab. How are they doing?"

"Better. Both were quite happy to see Sheldon and I."

"Well breakfast is ready. Shall we?" he said pointing the direction of the dining room.

After breakfast Sheldon and Amy went back up to their suite so they could text first and then hopefully make calls shortly after. Sheldon texted "June" as John asking that she let him know when to call. Amy did the same with "Lennie" as Emma Peal. Within seconds both of them had replies back from their respective mothers as to a convenient time to call. Mary had texted back that she could be called in 15 minutes. Jane said she would be available in an hour and fifteen minutes.

"Perfect, that gives us time to talk to both and not have to worry about overlap" Sheldon noted to Amy.

Across town from where they had earlier dined, Mary and Missy, along with Mee-Maw piled into the assigned meeting location in order to hear from Sheldon. All three details were there as well, waiting outside and watching the premises.

Fifteen minutes had passed; Sheldon placed the call. "June this is John calling. I gather you have been briefed?"

"Oh John, yes, I am so glad you called. Is everything all right?"

"Yes. Have you been in touch with Scarlett and Miss Marple?"

"Yes, I called them to join me in this exchange in case you had information or orders for them." Mary snickered in her hand. She felt so silly talking like this. "I wanted to let you know we have a stranger in town. He was very well dressed, like a rich man, from somewhere in the Middle East."

"Interesting, did he introduce himself to you?" Sheldon looked at Amy alarmed.

"Well he didn't give me his name, but we had a brief little exchange." Mary looked down at the list of names quickly before she nearly blew it and said "Scarlett was with me."

"Did he follow you?"

"No. He seemed to run back to a little B & B where he probably is stayin'."

"Operations are going well here but I appreciate this information. Since you know the woman that runs the B&B, give her a ring and ask her if she can give you the man's name. I will text you a photo. Please look at it and let me know if it is the person you witnessed."

"All right. When will you be sending that to me?"

"Give me a few moments to send it. Stay there and I will call back in, let's say 10 minutes?"

"Fine, that will be just fine."

Disconnecting the call, Mary took a deep breath. "Missy… that was so much harder than I expected it would be. I was so worried I would say somethin' wrong."

"I know Mama, but you did good" Missy tried to reassure her mother. "It sounds like he is okay though."

"Yes, but what about that little wife of his. I want to make sure she is okay as well. Oh Melissa, if they were to be pregnant, would they be able to tell me if I was gonna have grandbabies?"

"No, Mama I don't think they could, but Shelly probably isn't ready to give you grandbabies yet. I think he is enjoying the forbidden fruit of his wife that he missed out on all these years" Missy said raising her eyebrows up and down.

"Missy you clean up that mind of yours right now. Besides…there ain't nothin' wrong with them gettin' it on… now that they are married" Mary huffed.

Just then the fax machine went off and a photo of Hazim came into view. Mary walked over and picked it up. "What do you think, Missy? I say it is the same man."

"Yes, Mama, it's him. I was watching him for a long time. There isn't a doubt in my head that it is him."

Mary's phone rang again. "Hello?"

"June, it's John again. Did you get the fax?"

"Yes, and it is the same person."

"Ok, thanks. Make sure to inform the others assigned in your area of the foreigner. Also try to avoid being followed at all costs. Alert anyone you know and trust to cover for you all. See if you can find out what name he is using. Emma is busy working on her assigned project and regrets that she was not able to join me for this call."

"She has another project?"

"Yes, and local to me, but she will contact Miss Scarlet sometime soon to talk. I have to run now and join another meeting. I will let you know when I will be in contact again. It should be in soon."

"Um…okay", disappointment coming through in Mary's voice before she hung up. She wished she could see her son. She missed him so much.

"Mama, it sounds like both Amy and Shelly are just fine. At least you have heard from them. I know you miss them and wish you could fix this, but trust them. They know what they are doing" Missy tried to reassure her mother.

"Missy is right, dear, you have to trust Moon-pie on this one. He is bright and I am sure getting the best of care." Mee-Maw had overheard the conversation because Mary had put the phone on speaker mode both times. But she remained silent, afraid to give anything away. She had her own desire to see the kids and related to Mary's melancholy.

"I know y'all are right, but it don't make it any easier" Mary brushed back a tear that managed to escape her eyelid.

"I know, dear, believe me, I know." The women gathered their things and left the premises, piling back into the car and heading home.

"I will call Dora when I get back to make sure that I get the name of that man" Mary determined.

"Mama, perhaps you should text it to Shelly when you get it. Just send something short, like "his name is and then type in the name and send…nothin' more. That way he gets it right away and does not have to wait until he calls back. It may be important."

"I think you are right. Good idea."

Amy sat on the bed for a few moments before getting up nerve to call home. She would have to remember to call her Dad Greg and Jane, Lennie. She laughed as she realized she just named a monkey after her mother's pseudo name, just a variation on the spelling.

"Sheldon, I should call home and talk to my parents."

"I know. Their text said an hour and fifteen minutes when they sent it?"

"Yes. They are probably waiting in the meeting location."

"Yes, but you can't call for another" looking at his watch, Sheldon continued "25 minutes. We didn't talk that long to Mom and so you still have some time before you have to call."

Jane and Winston pulled into the meeting location. Once inside and secure, Jane said "Winston, I am so nervous. What if I say the wrong thing?"

"We are both nervous, but we are intelligent people. They are intelligent. Just follow their wording and avoid sounding like anything is at all personal."

"I guess. It is just so hard. I miss her…well them actually. I have grown quite fond of her husband."

"I know. I am very fond of him. He is a fine young man. I couldn't have asked for a better son-in-law if I tried. I believe he adores her. He will treat her well."

"Yes, I can tell he loves her deeply and she loves him deeply as well. I just wish they did not have to go through this. This is their honeymoon after all. I was sort of hoping they might decide to start a family early so we could enjoy grandchildren."

"Jane, you know they are young. They want to spend time with each other first. They are neither one very experienced when it comes to the passionate side that comes with love. I suspect they just want some time to themselves first. But knowing Amy, she will want a baby and when she does, there will be nothing stopping her from achieving her goal. She has a way of, well let's just say, getting her way."

"What time is it? How much longer before they call" Jane said as she nodded in understanding even though she hoped he was wrong and Amy would want a child soon.

"Another five minutes. These five minutes are going to be long ones."

"Yes. I feel all on pins and needles waiting. I am excited yet scared to death at the same time."

"Yes, exactly how I feel as well."

"What do you suggest we do to distract us from the time?"

"Actually, maybe you could help me on a case that is troubling me." Winston proceeded to describe the patient history and the trouble he was having. Even though Jane had not practiced her field of study in a long time, she had always kept up through reading and discussions with Winston. Their passion for cardiovascular medicine had never left either of them. Just as Jane had listened to all the details and asked questions for clarification, she gave him a suggestion then the phone rang. The couple looked at each other, afraid to pick it up, yet desiring to at the same time. After a second ring, Winston clicked it to connect the call and placed it on Speaker.

"Hello?" Winston answered.

"Greg, this is Emma Peal. Have you been updated on the project?" Amy said, her voice showing a bit of a tension in it, yet it still remained steady.

"Yes. I asked Lennie to join me in case you have instructions for her as well."

"Good, hello Lennie. I am glad you were able to join in on the conference. I also have asked John to join me on this conference."

"Hello John" Amy's parents said in unison.


	64. Chapter 64: Howard's Revelation

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

_A/N: PixieUnicorn, here is the update you sought. Thank you for your review and I am glad you are enjoying the story._

"Hello" Sheldon said. "Emma and I wish to ask if anyone has been in contact that was not anticipated."

Jane and Winston looked at each other not sure how to answer. They had been contacted by authorities and briefed on the situation and how to communicate with Sheldon and Amy over the phone. They also had been assigned detail, but they were not sure what else they could be inquiring about.

"Other than receiving orders and instructions, no, not that I am aware of" Winston finally responded.

"Good, it seems another one of the members on our project had an initial contact made this morning. Just be on the watch out" Sheldon continued.

"Are we to go do any alternative plans?" Jane asked.

"Lennie, no. Just continue as is. If anything changes, send John or me a text message immediately" Amy replied.

"Okay, I can do that" Jane replied.

Just then, Sheldon's phone received a text from Howard. "Call me, Sherman" was all it said.

"Excuse us, we just had an important message come in that we need to take care of" Sheldon interrupted.

"We will be in contact again soon and if anything changes on your end, text and we can call" Amy added.

After disconnecting Jane and Winston looked at each other. "Well that was…" Jane started.

"Uncomfortable? Yes it was very uncomfortable and well downright unsatisfying in a way" Winston interrupted.

"Yes, I know what you mean. However, I suppose we can't expect otherwise given the danger."

Winston nodded. He rubbed his face with his heads, wiping away a tear that started to escape. He was not usually an emotional man, but the fear he had for his daughter and fear that he or Jane might accidentally cause she and Sheldon further trouble was overwhelming. He had never been placed in such a position his entire life. He still held so much guilt for how little he participated in Amy's nurturing. He was cold and distant to her most of his life and actually rather disciplinarian as well. He felt that he not only missed out, but that he was not a very good father. And now, that they might connect, her life was in danger. It was just too overwhelming …the thought of possibly losing her, he couldn't even go there.

"Winston, let's head back home. I just feel a need to go through photo albums right now. Somehow looking at photos of the wedding might help me feel she is close."

He nodded and got up, leading the way back out so they could head back home.

Howard was antsy. He hoped Sheldon would call soon. It was late and he wanted to get home to Bernadette. He hadn't even had dinner yet and was hoping he wasn't going to sit there all night waiting for a call back. Just as he got up to pace, his phone went off.

"Sherman …is that you John?" Howard answered.

"Yes. What do you have for me?" Sheldon replied.

"I found out where Faisal is being held. There is a whole underground area of the palace compound that was reserved for burial later. Stairs lead down to a room that is sealed off from the main areas of activity. Faisal is being held there. He is there with a couple of his trusted men. However, there are many who work for Hazim who are not very loyal to him. For a price, they have no trouble exchanging loyalties" Howard was proud of his detective skills.

"Fascinating. This is excellent news, Sherman. Good work! So for a price, we can probably free Faisal and hopefully begin the unraveling of the immediate threats?"

"Yes. And likely lead to unraveling a whole operation" Howard continued.

"Have you passed this information on to anyone else?"

"No. I was waiting for further instructions" Howard replied.

"Okay, I will get back with you on instructions. Just keep this to yourself for now." Sheldon looked at his watch and did the quick calculations to realize it was dinner hour in California. "Let me speak with the chief here and get back to, say in about two and half to three hours. Would that work?"

"Yes. That would work just fine." Howard was relieved he would have time to spend with Bernie before having to return for Sheldon's return call and instructions.

"Very well, I will call you in two and a half hours." Sheldon was about to hang up when he felt compelled to again let Howard know how much he appreciated the great work he had been doing. "Again, excellent work; the team is grateful for your hard efforts."

"Thank you. I will speak to you again soon."

With that they disconnected the call. Howard sat looking at his phone. If he didn't know better, he could swear that Sheldon was actually trying to compliment him. He shook his head and packed up his things, stuffing them into his satchel and began to head out of the special meeting room to head home. He smiled thinking about what Bernie might be cooking them. He was surprised how good of a cook she turned out to be.

Sheldon looked at Amy, "We need to go speak with your grandfather and relay this latest information to him right away so that we know how Howard should proceed."

"Yes, I agree. But for the first time, I am hopeful, Sheldon. This means we might be able to finally have freedom again. I mean, I cannot complain because I have been very happy here and Grandfather has provided for our every need, but at the same time, just being able to go outside and breathe fresh air is a luxury I never thought I would appreciate so much as I do now."

"I know what you mean. I do enjoy that we have less complications on a daily basis here. We can spend more time together and with our work without the distractions of family and friends at home" Sheldon remarked.

"I miss our friends, but yes, I do enjoy that we have been able to have this time together, rather secluded actually. It is sort of romantic when you think about it" Amy said, raising her eyebrows up and down.

"Woman, if that is an offer, I am more than willing to take you up on it" Sheldon said, starting to un-tuck his shirt from his slacks.

"Sheldon, we first have to go speak with Grandfather and find out how he wants us to handle this information. We can come back up here after and proceed with my offer" Amy said, placing her hand on Sheldon's to have him stop before he disrobed too quickly.

"Of course, you are right" he said, rather disappointed he would have to wait. He loved their sex life and even surprised himself at how rewarding he found it to be. Putting himself back together, he took Amy's hand and they left to head down to Angus' office.

***In Texas****

Mary, Melissa and Mee-Maw head to church that evening. They stopped by the florist to pick up some flowers to leave up near the altar when Mary eyed Hazim heading out of the Bread and Breakfast Inn. Paying for the flowers, Mary could not help herself. "Hello there again; we are just on our way to services. Are you sure that you won't join us?"

Hazim stopped dead in his shoes and looked up at Mary. Surprised again at her boldness his eyes darted all around trying to find any excuse in the book to avoid her gaze. Unfortunate for him, Mee-Maw was near and no one, I mean no one, could resist Mee-Maw. Mary had explained about the man to Mee-Maw earlier and there was no one as amazingly gifted at Mee-Maw in the area of persuasion.

"Well, my, my, my, are you not one of the handsomest young men I have ever seen. Your mother must be quite a beauty" Mee-Maw said.

"Yes, she is very lovely" was all Hazim could manage to get out.

"Now did she bring you up properly? I mean are you a man who honors and respects all of God's creatures?" Mee-Maw asked, with her steely blue eyes boring through him in a way, yet with a gentleness and love that he had never witnessed. Sure he felt his parents gave him life, but love was not a word used much in his nation.

"I…I…I follow Allah" he finally spit out.

"Yes, dear, I am sure you do. But you do realize that Jesus loves you and so do we. Come with us, dear. You will find it quite enlightening, I am sure of that" She wove her frail arm through his and started to push him toward the direction of the church. "Mary, dear, why don't you and Missy take the car. This handsome escort will make sure I get to the church safely" Mee-Maw said while winking at Mary.

Mary eyed him and her mother. While she was bold about facing him herself, she wasn't so sure about leaving him alone with her mother. She knew her mother could sweet talk anyone into anything, but she didn't know if this man would harm her mother. She was about to speak up when she realized that Hazim was looking at her mother with awe.

"Come dear, this is the way" Mee-Maw said, helping him move forward. "I am so pleased you will be joining us. So Mary tells me you are here on business? What is it exactly you do for work?"

Hazim studied Mee-Maw as they walked. He found her incredibly charming. He could not believe he was drawn to her the way he was. She was so….so…he didn't even know the word yet, but he immediately found himself charmed by her. "Um, I am in oil. I am a petroleum engineer."

"Oh, of course you would be. Well you came to the right state for that. We have oil under our feet" Mee-Maw smiled. "Of course you already knew that. So what do you think of our beautiful state?"

"It is definitely different" was about all Hazim could form. His mind seemed to be mush. This woman had cast a spell and he was trying to shake himself from it, yet could not.

Mee-Maw continued to hum as they walked. She asked "do you like music?"

"I can't say I spend much time listening to it, so not really I guess."

"Oh well, perhaps you just haven't heard the kind of music you might like. I can tell you tonight you will be in for quite a treat. Missy will be singing tonight and she has a voice like an angel. My grandson, George, well he has a lovely voice, but chooses to waste it. Of course there is also Billy, another grandson of mine. He has a voice like a crow; not nearly as pleasant."

Hazim thought this might be a way to learn more about Sheldon so asked "How many grandchildren do you have?"

"Oh my dear, you don't care to hear me ramble like one of those grandmothers who can't stop bragging about their grandchildren" Mee-Maw was wise and figured where he wanted to go. "Tell me about your lovely country. I know very little and I am fascinated to learn more. I haven't traveled much in my years, but I read avidly. From photos in books, it looks quite lovely."

"Most Americans would consider our country dirty and sandy. I find it interesting you think it is pretty. Why is that?"

"Oh my, the water that surrounds your country is so blue in pictures and the sand is so fine and beautiful. The cities are so exotic and ancient; holding so much history. Plus, there are places where our Lord walked and lived in your country" I can't imagine how lovely it must be to walk the same places he walked" Mee-Maw said, her eyes dreamy and full of admiration and love.

Hazim looked at her and could not help but find her incredible. She was probably the most fascinating person he had ever met in his entire life. He had even managed to forget the reason he was hoping to talk to her because he was mesmerized by her description of things. As she continued to talk about his country and why she found it beautiful in pictures, it was as if he was looking at his nation again falling in love with it as if the first time.

Arriving at the church, Hazim tried his best to wiggle out of going inside. He was certain Allah would strike him dead right there, but Mee-Maw with her persuasive skills got him to escort her inside. Mary was already waiting for them and he ended up being penned in between Mary and Mee-Maw. Missy was up front with the worship team. She began to sing and Hazim raised up his eyes. He had never heard anything so angelic in his entire life. Her voice was beyond beautiful. It was as if his soul was being pulled from his chest and given over to her.

******Back in Scotland*****

"Grandfather, we got an update from Howard that we came to tell you about" Amy said as they entered her Grandfather's home office.

"I am all ears" Angus said, pushing some files to the side and looking up at the couple.

"Sir, Howard informed us that Prince Faisal is being held underground in a sealed off room at his Palace. It appears that Hazim was able to bring some of the Prince's "loyal followers" over through greed" Sheldon started. They continued to explain in more detail what Howard had revealed.

"I will have my team get on it right away. Thank you. This is most informative and can lead us to a possible end to this mess" Angus said.

The trio continued to discuss the case further and when they were complete Amy finally said "Grandfather, can you let me know where my mother's favorite areas were in the house? I would love to go and just sit and feel her Presence."

Angus smiled, thrilled that his granddaughter finally was talking about her mother. "She would love for you to share her favorite places. One of them is a room down the hall from your suite. It was her bedroom suite. But she also loved a sweet little room that was filled with sunlight all the time on the opposite wing. Unfortunately, I won't be able to let you at that location since it is not secured in any form and the windows allow for view from the outside. The other area is up on the third floor. There is a library and a small sitting area in it that she spent hours in. That is secure so you are welcome to visit it as well as the suite that she used to sleep in. Many of her things are still in that room. I left it pretty much untouched other than keeping it clean and fresh."

Going over and kissing Angus on his cheek Amy thanked him and announced "I think we will go visit the library area first and then head back to our suite, stopping by her suite on our way. What time should we be back down?"

"I have not planned anything special for lunch and if you wish to lunch in your suite, you should have everything you need there. Dinner will be at 7."

"Okay, well we have a lot of work to accomplish this afternoon so we will see you at 7."

***Back in Texas***

The musical part of the worship service had ended, and Missy joined her mother and grandmother. Hazim could not keep his eyes off of her. He was mesmerized by her beauty, grace, kindness, and her voice. He watched her with her grandmother interact and they were so loving and kind. Everything was so foreign to him. He felt like he was caught up in a completely different dimension.

The pastor got up to preach but what surprised Hazim was how different a Christian service was from what he was used to at the Mosque. The pastor was entertaining, made people laugh, was dynamic and actually made some decent points. Hazim tried to huff and puff his way through, looking for opportunities to discount what the pastor had to say, but then he would look over and see how Mee-Maw and Missy would be nodding and turning to smile at him, reassuring him what they had heard they totally believed. It completely unnerved him.

Once the sermon was over, the pastor came and met Hazim. He was warm and embraced Hazim. It was something totally unexpected. Hazim squirmed and finally was let go of while the warm smiles from the pastor were in his face offering him to come and visit with others in their welcome center. He offered him snacks and beverages.

"Oh David, we will be taking our guest into town for some of Maybel's pie. As much as I am sure he would love meeting everyone, he has traveled a long distance and could use some good rest" Mee-Maw helped Hazim with an escape plan.

Leaving the church they drove Hazim to the diner to share pie. Mary played Hazim like a pro. So did Mee-Maw, even Missy was up on her game. Hazim left the diner that evening completely befuddled, baffled and to be quite frank, feeling extremely guilty that he was ever involved in trying to learn information from them. While he never did learn anything useful, he could see that charm ran in the family and believed that Sheldon was also likely quite a charmer, which meant that with intelligence and charm, he might be capable of being almost anywhere in the world and well protected wherever he was. The Cooper family kind of charm immediately brought with it instant loyalty. Deciding he might have better luck in California, he went back to his room and began to pack up. He decided he would check out first thing in the morning and fly to Burbank airport which was closest to Pasadena. Making his arrangements, he readied himself for bed and climbed in the bed. No matter how hard he tried to fall asleep, however, he could not get the image of Missy out of his head. He kept hearing her voice sing hymns, which annoyed him immensely, yet excited him at the same time.

***Back in Scotland***

The couple took their leave and head back up to the third floor to visit the library. Their escorts helped them locate the room. Once in the library, Sheldon decided to text Howard that no call was necessary and for him to enjoy his evening. They would be in touch if there were any new orders and that he should text if he found out anything new so they could return with a call. He then put his phone away in his pocket and looked around the room.

Sheldon began to study all of the books on the shelves, pulling down a book now and again and leafing through it. He was like a child in a candy shop, impressed with the massive collection of books. As he busied himself with the academic books and soaking in the amount of knowledge held in that room, Amy found the small sitting area and went to sit. A skylight type of contraption was above her, yet not direct so that no one could view in from a helicopter or from the rooftop. It seemed to be a long, narrow set-up that allowed a skylight to be located elsewhere and between mirroring devices and other things it brought in the natural light as if it were directly above her. She realized it was a perfect spot, warm, light, and charming. She could picture her mother there having tea while enjoying a good read.

While sitting in the area, Amy looked at the nearest shelves and realized that many of the books were probably her mother's books. They were on topics related to behavioral science and there were even a couple of romance novels. Picking up a couple of the romance novels, Amy leafed through the pages when in one of them an envelope fell out. Picking it up, Amy started to put it back in the book, but then was curious about the contents.

Studying it, she realized it was sealed. It had Gaelic written on the outside that she didn't recognize so felt she wanted to know more. Determined, she slipped it into her pocket and figured she would ask her Grandfather to translate the Gaelic later that evening. She would seek his approval to open it.

The couple spent about an hour in the library before they head down to their suite. Stopping off in her mother's suite briefly, Amy said "Let's come back and check it out tomorrow. I think we have some unfinished business to attend to… and then… we have tasks to complete in the lab."

Amy smiled up at her husband. Giving him a grin, he recognized was a sign that they would revisit their earlier plans. Practically jogging from her mother's suite to theirs, Sheldon literally starting stripping off his clothes the moment the door closed. Amy began to giggle at the sight.

"A little excited, are we?"

"While in the library, I kept peaking over at you and you looked so beautiful with the light shining on you, all I could think about was how I wanted to take you then and there. So you have yourself to blame for my state of arousal" Sheldon teased.

Amy was touched by his compliment and could not help but go over and begin to kiss him. They suddenly became like newlyweds on their honeymoon night, sweet, tender and as if it was their first time again.

Their love-making session was long and sweet, taking time for lots of cuddling, sweet kissing, letting their passion build and build that it was about an hour and a half later that you heard their screams of orgasm leading to erratic breathing trying to get back post-coital control. Cuddling close and basking in their love, they both immediately fell into a sleep.

It was near Noon when they woke again and realized they had taken more time than they had expected. Kissing Amy, Sheldon said "Time for us to shower and grab a bite. Then off to the lab. I have some equations to solve."

They took a quick shower and Amy threw together a quick pasta meal with fresh veggies and chicken. It was simple and her garlic bread was a perfect condiment with the meal. Once they had finished eating and cleaning up the dishes, they head down to the lab.

Sheldon was busy at his white boards when Lenny came over. The monkey began to look at the boards and watch Sheldon erase things and change things. Picking up another eraser, the monkey went over to one of the boards and started to erase. Lucky for Sheldon, Amy caught wind of what the little guy was about to do and ran over in time to prevent too much damage. "No, Lenny. You cannot do that without Sheldon's approval."

Turning toward her, not realizing what Lenny almost did he said "Why are you reprimanding him? What did he do?" He walked over to take Lenny in his arms. He had grown fond of the little guy.

"He nearly erased your work on this board" Amy said, pointing to one of the equations that had it missing part of an expression of one of the lines.

"Lenny my boy, you are welcome to your own white board. Here let me show you. But that will be your board. You are not to touch any of the other boards. You understand?" Sheldon said with firmness but a lot of love. He showed Lenny a board that was closest to where the monkeys were housed. "Here this can be your board. You only use it to do real work though, Lenny. Show me what you have learned." He stepped back and handed a marker to Lenny.

Lenny began to write out an equation. It was actually a more advanced beginning algebraic equation, but given he was only a primate, it was very impressive. Sheldon looked and smiled. "Good job, Lenny. Now I am going to work on my boards and you work here. I will explain my work to you in a while."

Amy smiled at the two of them. Lenny squealed back at Sheldon with a big smile and then turned to his board. He wrote more equations and a few simple words. It fascinated Amy. "Lenny, I want to put electrodes on you so I can monitor your brain while you work. They won't hurt" Amy said, approaching him. She put a few electrodes on the monkey. "Go ahead and keep working. These won't bother you" she coaxed him back to the board. Lenny continued writing away and occasionally erasing and starting new equations, looking over at Sheldon from time to time, trying to mimic him now and again.

Sheldon exclaimed, "Aha, I got it! Amy, I solved this one." Grabbing some paper he began to fastidiously write down everything that was on the boards to ensure he didn't lose a thing. Lenny had watched. He mimicked and grabbed some paper and looked at his board and began to copy it. All the while, Amy was taking readings and watching.

"Sheldon, this could be an amazing study in itself. I want to speak to Grandfather about it tonight and see if there is a way we can apply for grant funds to focus on Lenny" Amy said. She thought if she could write up a proposal and get it sent to UCLA, she might receive permission to focus on her new study while continuing her work on addictions.

The rest of the afternoon went rather uneventful. Both Sheldon and Amy were hard at work. Amy collected quite a bit of data from Lenny and then removed the electrodes, letting him go play with the other monkeys for a while. She then began studying her other primate patients and logging data on their progress.


	65. Chapter 65: A Return in Sight?

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

Right before dinner that night, Sheldon had an idea and sent a text to Howard. He wanted Howard to find out just how much the guards had been paid who were watching over Faisal. If Howard could get that information, it would tell them how much they would have to pull together to bribe the guards back to loyalty with Faisal to free him. Sheldon sent the text and satisfied that it would take Howard a while, began to clean up for dinner.

Angus was having guests over that evening and so Sheldon and Amy decided to stay in their suite and dine there. Amy did not have to prepare anything for food was being sent up to them, but they could not risk being noticed by the guests, at least not while the terrorists were still at large.

*** In California ***

Howard and Bernadette woke to the sound of Howard's new phone beeping that he had a text message. Howard looked at it and groaned. He knew that the information was important to get to Sheldon and could bring them back home so he stretched and got out of bed. "Bernie, I have to go research something in the office. Sorry, babe." Bernie knew by the fact the message came in on Howard's special phone it was from Sheldon and nodded. "It's okay, Howie. I understand. Don't forget you have to take me to the airport before 10. I am all packed. Do you think you can drop me there before you go into the office? You can drop me off early if you want. I would rather be early than late."

"Sure, I guess that will work. I am going to miss you. I know it is only an overnight business trip, but I don't like it when we are apart." Howard replied, while leaning over to kiss his wife. Bernie didn't like it any more than Howard, but it could not be helped. She had to attend an important meeting in their San Francisco office that she could not miss. It was mandatory and she didn't want to ruin her chances for an eventual promotion.

In Burbank a plane had landed and Hazim walked down the ramp toward baggage claim. He still felt a bit dazed from his trip to Texas and wasn't paying much attention to everything around him. He literally knocked into Howard who had just dropped off Bernadette at security and saw her through before turning to leave. He was heading off of the elevator to the garage and car rental level when he bumped into Hazim. Immediately Howard recognized him having spent the last few days studying photos of the man and his twin.

"Excuse me" Hazim said and bowed.

"It's all right. Do you need directions?" Howard thought if he could strike up a conversation with the man he might get a better feel for the guy.

"I believe this is the car rental level. Am I correct?" Hazim asked for confirmation.

"Yes. Which rental agency are you seeking?" Howard asked looking at a piece of paper in Hazim's hand.

Hazim unfolded the paper and showed it to Howard.

Nodding Howard said, "Here, let me walk you over. It can be little confusing" Howard offered. "Where are you from?" He asked as they walked along looking for the specific rental agency.

"Saudi Arabia, but most recently I flew here from Texas. I had some business there" Hazim said. As he did, a far-away look ran across his face. He began to remember Missy's voice and Meemaw's warm smile. A small grin involuntarily ran across his facial lines.

Howard, quick to pick up on the look nudged him saying, "I gather you met a lovely lady there who captured your heart, based on the expression on your face."

Shaking himself back to reality, Hazim's facial expression turned to one of a person that was annoyed "Um, no. I have no romantic interests in Texas." Hazim looked away and tried to shake off the feeling of the women he left behind.

Howard studied him. Hazim still seemed to not be on his game. Howard could tell. Taking advantage of the vulnerable moment, he asked "So what brings you to Los Angeles, more specifically Burbank?"

"Huh? What? Um…I am sorry, I got lost in a thought. What was it you said?" Hazim tried to shake himself to the present but his mind quickly wandered back to Texas. Why was it that he was so off since his visit? It puzzled him.

"I just was wondering what brings you here. Are you flying back to Saudi soon?" Howard asked, hoping he wasn't pushing too much.

"Um…no. I need to find out some information before I return to my country. I am here to meet with some people who might possibly be able to provide that information. I need it to complete a project" Hazim willingly volunteered the information without even realizing what he had said.

Howard looked up and pointed and said, "Here we are. Well good luck and have a nice visit and safe trip home. Just go to that little window there and the attendant can bring you your car." He waved and walked away.

When he was a safe distance away, he pulled out his cell phone, quickly entering back into the airport terminal building to blend in so that Hazim could not find him again. He began to text Sheldon that he ran into Hazim and would be calling him in a couple of hours, after he had the previous requested information.

Heading back to Cal-Tech, Howard ran into Leonard. He asked Leonard to come help him. Both carried their laptops into the secret room and began to research to see if they could follow a money trail to figure out what kind of funds were used to bribe the guards. After about 45 minutes, they had success and Leonard decided to stay and be present for when the call took place. He missed hearing Sheldon's voice, and could not even believe he was admitting it to himself, much less Howard.

****In Scotland****

Sheldon and Amy had just finished dinner in their suite and cleaned up when Sheldon's cell went off.

"It's Howard. He has the information I requested. Let's call him" Sheldon suggested.

"Can we Skype instead of call this time? I miss seeing the faces of our friends" Amy asked.

"Hmm…I don't know if that is allowed or not. Let me go ask Gordon who is on duty tonight."

Ducking out quickly and returning, Sheldon said they had better not Skype. Gordon felt it would be too much of a security breech. He then placed the call to Howard, placing it on speaker so that Amy could participate and hear the information.

"Sherman, this is John and Emma" Sheldon announced before Howard could say anything once connecting.

"Hello, I have Jean-Marc with me as well" Howard said, placing the cell on speaker.

"Good. What do you have for me?"

"First, I literally bumped into Hazim today at Burbank airport" Howard (Sherman) started. "He flew in from Texas, and based on the look in his face, I am assuming he ran into Miss Scarlett and perhaps others there.

"What do you mean the look on his face" Sheldon bristled. He hated the idea of anyone involved in this mess getting anywhere near Missy, or any other of his family members.

Amy, realizing he could blow their cover if he continued, placed her hand on his arm and rubbed it to calm him. He looked over and she shook her head and held up a piece of paper where she wrote, "Be Cool." Sheldon at first returned a puzzled expression and she mouthed "You have no family, remember?" Sheldon then realized his near mistake and nodded, assuring her he would be cool.

"He just had a far off look on his face with a small grin that led me to believe he fell to the charms of Miss Scarlet. She is an excellent agent for loosening men's lips to reveal things that they may not want to reveal" Howard continued.

Sheldon counted to ten, his blood boiling at the thought that Missy and Hazim might have had any encounter, even if it was just a mere quick exchange of pleasantries. He calmed himself and then asked "What brings him to LA, did you find out?"

"I took advantage of his vulnerability and got from him that he is here seeking information before returning home to Saudi" Howard replied. "I wasn't able to get much else from him, but Jean-Marc and I have been researching the other information you requested and I can tell you that three guards were involved and each were paid what would be approximately $50,000 each. It seems they were bought for a pretty cheap price if you were to ask me."

"Interesting. This is encouraging news." Sheldon responded. He thought for a moment then said, "Excellent work Jean-Marc and Sherman. I believe this project may be coming close to completion soon. I will be in touch if I have any further orders."

Saying goodbye, Sheldon disconnected and tossed his phone over to the desk. "I don't like it Amy, I don't like it at all. I can't believe he was trying to put moves on Missy."

"You don't know that, Sheldon. That is all Howard's assumptions. Would you feel more comfortable talking to your family? Maybe we should ask them to prepare for a call?"

Sheldon looked at his watch and nodded "Yes, I think that would help make me more comfortable."

Texting his mother, he asked her to assemble Missy, Meemaw, herself and George, Jr to their meeting place so that he could call them. He then text a second message asking her to let him know when to call after they had arranged to be at the room. Within moments he received a message back to call in 20 minutes.

A half hour later, Sheldon disconnected his cell and while he had been reassured by everyone in the family that all was well and that their contact with Hazim was brief, he still was not comfortable. "Amy, I really hope Angus can get this whole business wrapped up soon. I feel like we need to make sure that no one else is in any danger and being held here, I am unable to protect them."

Amy understood and while she had actually enjoyed their several weeks of captivity in her grandfather's mansion, she really missed her colleagues, her friends, their families and most of all sunshine and fresh air of the outdoors. She too was looking forward to returning home.

"Sheldon, I think perhaps we should ask Gordon if he can get a message to Grandfather that we need to speak with him tonight to provide him the updated information. The sooner we can get Faisal free, I think this entire mess will be cleared up."

"I agree." Sheldon walked over and placed the request to Gordon outside of their suite then returned.

***In California***  
Penny was working the day shift and walked up to a table that was often used for people that were eating alone. As she pulled out her order ticket to take the order of the man sitting there, she looked up and saw his face. She immediately recognized that he might be someone that could be suspect in Shamy's case. Leonard had prepared her well for what to watch for and shown her pictures of Hazim and Faisal. She was certain this was Hazim.

"Welcome to the Cheesecake Factory, can I get your drink order?" Penny said, putting on a friendly face. She studied the man. One good thing about being an actress is that it was easy to study people without them realizing you were placing them under your microscope. She was used to watching people so that she could take in reactions, facial expressions, and body language so she could store up the information and retrieve it to put to use when she needed to come up with a new reaction to other actors in scenes and auditions.

Hazim looked up at the pretty blonde face staring down at him and her broad smile could not help but bring a smile to his face. "I believe I would like a Lemonade."

"One Lemonade coming up. Do you have any questions about the menu?" Penny asked.

He shook his head and said "No, I am still studying it, but everything seems rather straight forward. Thank you."

Penny wandered over to the wait staff station to pour him a glass of Lemonade, adding a Lemon wedge for extra pizazz. She waited a few brief moments, just observing him as he studied his menu and looked around the restaurant. He seemed as if he were trying to assess faces and was actually waiting for someone. Walking back over she placed the glass in front of him.

"Have you made your selection?"

"Yes."

Taking his order she then went back to the kitchen to place the order. While there, she text Leonard and let him know that Hazim was in the restaurant and had just placed an order.

At Cal-Tech, Leonard, Howard and Raj were at their usual table having their typical argument over whether Ironman3 or Star Trek were the better movie out at the time when Leonard's special cell phone went off. Reading the message he then looked up and whispered to the other two, 'Hazim is at the Cheesecake Factory now."

"Let's go" Howard said, seeing the concern in Leonard's eyes. The three men dumped their barely touched lunches into the trash and put their trays on the return, rushing out the door. Running across the parking lot they piled into Howard's new car and head immediately to the Cheesecake Factory.

"I guess I am kind of glad Bernie is out of town right now" Howard said. "At least she isn't anywhere near Hazim."

Arriving at the restaurant, Howard reminded them before they could jump out of the car "Be cool. Remember, lives are at stake. He can't know we are on to him." Nodding, they agreed they would be careful.

Once inside, they were seated at their usual table in Penny's station. Penny saw them and came up cheerily "Hi guys. Your usual?" she asked.

Nodding, all three guys tried to act normal. Penny walked away writing their orders as she head toward the kitchen. Leonard quickly text her and let her know they were there as backup but to play everything cool and normal. Penny's phone beeped after she was inside the kitchen. Reading the message she smiled. She knew she could depend on Leonard to be there to protect her. She honestly was glad the guys were there. While back in the kitchen, she asked that they hold off on Hazim's order. Continue with other orders and then start on his in another 15 minutes or so. She felt it would give the guys a chance to observe Hazim.

Heading back out, Penny stopped at the wait station and picked up a pitcher of Lemonade and walked back to the table where Hazim was waiting for his lunch to arrive. "I am sorry for the delay. We are down a cook today and so the orders got a little backed up. Would you like some more Lemonade while you wait or can I get you anything while you wait?"

"Thank you, more lemonade would be good. I just flew in this morning and am a little parched from the flight" Hazim replied. "Do you know how much longer before my meal might be here?"

"I think probably another 10-15 minutes" she replied. "I really feel bad about it. Because you are having to wait so long, would you like to look at the desert menu? It will be on me for the inconvenience of having to wait."

Waving his hand Hazim said "No, that is fine. I don't mind waiting. I don't have to rush off anywhere. Is there an outlet nearby? I would not mind checking my email while I wait, but my battery is low" he said, pointing to his iPad.

Pointing down below the table Penny replied "Yes, there should be one just about near your ankle." Hazim looked down and found the outlet, placing his converter plug into the wall and letting his iPad charge up as he punched into the attached keyboard, presumably to bring up email.

Walking away and back toward the guys, Penny leaned over and gave Leonard a quick peck. Whispering in his ear, "I had them delay his meal so you guys can keep an eye on him. He is supposedly reading emails. You might be able to see his screen from here." Leaning back she said "Sweetie, I am so glad you were able to come to lunch after all" as if it were planned.

Taking her cue, Leonard replied "Yeah, it just happened to work out. Anything to give me a chance to see you" he grinned wide. Winking she walked away and attended to other patrons.

Leonard leaned down, picked up his cell and punched in a message to Howard. Howard then realized what Penny had done and since he was facing Hazim's table, which was not far from their table, was directly in line view of Howard looking at Leonard. It would be easy for him to watch the screen and quickly avert his eyes back to Leonard if necessary.

***In Scotland***

Angus excused himself from his guests, promising to return shortly and immediately joined Gordon back up to the Cooper suite. He knocked on their suite door.

"Grandfather" Amy whispered, "Do come in."

Sheldon immediately helped her grandfather to a comfortable chair and relayed the information Howard had given them.

"While I won't pretend to be happy about Hazim being in Los Angeles, at least we know he is out of Saudi right now and that gives us time to make our move. Good work by your friends and I am glad to know that we can triple the bribe and it won't be any issue. I am sure they will remain quite loyal to Faisal in that case enough we can get this whole mess wrapped up. I am sure you both are anxious to be back in your own home and with your friends. I won't pretend that I have not enjoyed you being here, but I also know that is where your lives have been built. " Suddenly Angus looked tired. Amy felt bad. She was going to miss being with her Grandfather.

"Grandfather, once we are back home, we want you to think about coming and staying with us for as long as you want. I am going to miss being with you and you could do with a rest. This has been a very trying time for you and we apologize for bringing in such negativity." Amy kneeled down and laid her head in his lap, giving him affection.

"My dear, I would not have traded this time with you for anything in the world. I just will be glad when you and Sheldon are out of danger so you can be free to live your lives."

Sheldon came over and did something he was rarely known to do. He bent down and hugged Angus. Swallowing hard as he lay his head on Angus' shoulder, he said "I can't thank you enough for what you have done for us, but more important, I cannot tell you how much you mean to both of us. As you know, I lost both my father and Grandfather, and it has been nice to have a Pop-Pop again." The family lay there together for a few more minutes before Angus rejoined his guests downstairs.

"Amy, can we cuddle?" Sheldon asked. For some reason he just needed her closeness.

"I was going to ask you the same thing. I feel rather melancholy yet at the same time excited. There are so many various feelings running through my veins that I can't feel anything but a need to cling to you right now" Amy replied.

Sheldon and Amy quickly prepared for bed and crawled in and snuggled with each other. The more they lay there in their thoughts the more they clung to each other. Amy leaned up and kissed Sheldon lightly. "I love you and am so glad that no matter where we are, that you are what makes me feel at home."

"Yes, you are all I need, Amy. This whole matter has made me realize just how fortunate I am to have you not only in my life, but my wife and to know that we will have each other forever." He leaned down and kissed her passionately. Before long, they were in the throes of love-making, releasing all their anxiety through their desire for each other.

***In California***

The boys were back at Cal-Tech after having spent a longer then they wanted lunch to keep eye on Hazim. Nothing much transpired. Hazim spent his time waiting for food reading up on news, then watching Youtube clips. Howard's interest was only roused when he noticed that Hazim was watching a Youtube of Christian music. He caught a few tunes and realized as he squinted and tried to look closer that the person singing was Missy,once in a while the camera caught a close up of her. It appeared that she was a regular vocalist at the church that Sheldon's family attended. Other than that, Hazim ate his meal, tipped Penny handsomely and left. The guys tried to leave and follow, but found that by the time they paid their bill, he had already escaped their sight.

Howard sent an email to Sheldon, realizing it was late in Scotland to let him know of everything that happened at the restaurant.

***Scotland***

The following morning, Sheldon woke and saw his wife still asleep. He leaned over and kissed her on the cheek, hoping to wake her. He really wanted her that morning. She stirred and of course felt his erection which immediately woke her up. She turned and saw the desire in his eyes and they matched her desire. They began to kiss and explore, taking time to enjoy ravishing each other. Once they reached their joint climax they rested before heading to the showers. Needless to say their arousals were quickly stirred up again. For some reason they just needed the closeness that their intimacy brought and could not get enough of each other. They knew that once they returned to LA, they would not be working side by side as they had in Scotland and Sheldon didn't like the idea that he would have to miss out on the progress they had made while there.

Going down to the lab about an hour later, they began working. Sheldon began to study the boards that Lenny had written on. "Amy, look at this. He is remarkable!" Pointing to the board, he was showing Amy and both were astounded at the brilliance that the little guy demonstrated.

"Do you think we can bring him back with us when we finally are able to return home? I want you to be able to continue to study him" Sheldon said. "I feel like he holds the key to many things."

"I agree. I will make sure that we can do what we can to see if we can bring him and his aunt back with us."

Once they managed to check on all the monkeys and check with the assistants they head back upstairs to join Angus for brunch. He filled them in. It seemed that the information they provided the night before was enough to garner success. Faisal had been freed and was currently protected not only by his own team of guards, but by Interpol as well. He debriefed everyone over the course of the night on what happened and what the plan was and who all was involved. Cooperating with Interpol, many of the Brotherhood involved in the operation were already captured. Hazim was already in custody in Pasadena and the FBI had him in their custody. Only a few arrests were left to be made. It seemed that within a few days, Sheldon and Amy would be heading back to LA.


	66. Chapter 66: The Homecoming

Disclaimer: _I do not own nor do I profit from The Big Bang Theory or any of its related characters. Any businesses mentioned may be by pure coincidence and no profit has been made or money exchanged to mention them. They were made up and not intended to be real. Likewise, any new characters created were out of imagination. Any similarities to real persons would be by pure coincidence only and not intentional._

****In California****

The press was crowded outside of the media release room at the prison holding Ramona and her sister, Celia. They had end up at the same facility although Celia was in solitary confinement. However, the press wanted access to the girls to see if they could get a statement about the terror plot and Prince Faisal. Celia's attorney was in conference with her to see if she wanted to make a statement. After spending over three hours constructing a statement, her attorney finally presented before the press and read the following:

"_Miss Nowitzki asked that I release the following statement. 'I married Prince Faisal this past February, or at least who I believed at the time was the Prince. I under no circumstances had any reason to believe otherwise. I have since learned through my attorney that the man I married was in actuality his twin brother. As I had no knowledge of this, or of any of the sinister plots underway, I have no further comment."_

The attorney then told the press that he would not be taking any questions and that was all they would receive from Miss Nowitzski. He then returned to meet her one last time before leaving the prison. Sometimes he hated his job. He felt that his client wasn't being honest with him, but sometimes he felt the less he knew the better. He realized his client was unbalanced and it took him three hours to convince her to allow him to read that one simple statement. She had been ranting and raving about how the Brotherhood would prevail and long live Hazim. The only thing that was true is that she had no idea that Hazim was the man she married, yet once she found out, she still remained loyal to him. He shook his head as he sat in back of the limo that he was in. He could not understand how someone could be so radical and bitter. That wasn't his job to understand. He only had to represent her, but it was cases like hers that made him hate his job.

Celia was pacing in her solitary cell like a caged animal. She was screaming obscenities and spewing hate. She kept looking for ways to see if she could escape, but they had her foot chained because she was such a risk. The guards were used to this behavior, but what they could not believe was how long the woman could carry on. She never seemed to lose her voice or her stamina. She truly was insane in their minds, yet they were glad she didn't get off easy with an insanity charge.

Ramona had learned about her sister's fate and tried to seduce guards without success. She wanted to try to get to Celia and help her escape. She felt that if they could get out of there, they could kill Sheldon and his wife. She too was being observed and often sedated. A decision to put her in solitary came down just minutes before the press arrived so they had not had a chance to move her. She would be moved later that evening, after being sedated.

Penny watched the news that morning and heard the statement. She had an uneasy feeling about the two girls. She never cared for Ramona and felt her sister was even more off her rocker. She called Leonard.

"Sweetie, the news just released a statement from Celia. While it sounded sane and logical, something isn't sitting right with me. Do you think you can get some reassurance that those girls are going to have no way of getting released?"

"I don't know if they will tell me anything, to be honest. I can try to get hold of our contacts overseas if you want and ask them to pursue it" Leonard didn't want to risk anything even though he knew that most of the operation had been captured and were already in custody.

"Could you? It would make me feel so much better."

"Sure. Do you want to come here for lunch today?" Leonard asked. He thought perhaps if they could spend some time together it would calm her nerves.

"Um…yeah. I don't have to go in until 4:00. See you around noon?" Penny asked.

"That works. See you then." Leonard disconnected then grabbed his special phone and head to the secure meeting room. Texting Sheldon he waited for a call to come.

****In Scotland****

Sheldon received a text and immediately showed it to Amy. They placed a call to Leonard.

"Jean-Marc, it's John and Emma. You needed me to call?"

"Yes. The twins are being a lot of trouble and Amanda is restless. She is concerned they are planning a prison break."

"Interesting. Is there any reason to suspect such an occurrence?" Sheldon furrowed his brow in concern.

"Knowing those two, anything is possible. I have heard rumors from other agents here that they are very wild and like caged animals. They have to be sedated often because they can carry on for hours."

"Okay, thank you for this information. I will make sure that we pass along this to the chief. Tell Amanda thank you for her tip and that we will make sure extra security is in place."

The two men disconnected. Sheldon sat for a moment and pondered the conversation. Amy looked over and saw his concern. "Something wrong?" she asked.

"It's just that Leonard called to say that Penny is upset. She thinks that Celia and Ramona may be planning a prison break. Evidently they are being more than a handful and have to be sedated daily."

"Seriously? Wow, they must be more insane than I imagined. We should make sure Grandfather knows this and have him be assured by those in charge that there is no chance of those two escaping."

"I agree. Shall we?" Sheldon asked holding out his hand. They walked down to Angus' office and gave him the update. Angus grew concerned and got on it right away. A few hours later, he updated Sheldon and Amy. Extra security had been put in place and special agents were watching the prison as backup should any attempt be made. He assured the couple that the two women would be well guarded and chances were near nil that they would have any success. Everyone was on high alert and watching them carefully.

Angus then updated them and let them know they got the final few Brotherhood operators that were involved in the plot and that it appeared that they would be safe to return home by the end of the week. He also said he received approval for them to return with Lenny, but that the other monkey had to remain. While they were not terribly happy about the poor little female monkey having to remain behind, he did inform them that he managed to find a zoo that was willing to take her to keep her from being re-traumatized. This seemed like an acceptable alternative, so the couple went upstairs to begin the task of packing for a long plane ride back to Pasadena.

***In California****

Faisal's private jet landed and he deplaned. He had just arrived at LAX and decided to rest for the remaining part of the day but then the next day visit UCLA, hoping to catch up with Amy. He felt terrible that she and her new husband had been under such duress because of his twin brother. But his first order of business was to visit the jail where his brother had been held. He was to be extradited and sent back to Saudi later that week. So Faisal head immediately to the police station to find out more about where his brother was being held.

At the prison, the warden had been alerted by high officials that the situation with the twins had to be handled well and that they had to be placed in a situation where there would be no possibility for escape. Top psychiatrists had been assigned their cases and were now working to assess the true nature of the girls' conditions. Based on findings thus far, they realized the girls were clearly troubled and one could even label them "crazy", but were actually quite sane. They were sly in coming up with ways to try and work the system to seek chances for escape. Therefore there were plans put in place for treatments that would subdue the girls, making them unable to harm themselves or others. Once those measures had been put in place, the girls grew far more quiet and compliant.

Faisal had visited his brother and Hazim truly had felt remorseful. While Faisal was there, his brother kept asking for Mary and Missy Cooper. Faisal had no idea who they were, but knew that Amy had married someone with the same last name so perhaps she would know. He then head to UCLA to try and meet with Amy only to learn that she still had not returned and was out of the country. He head back to his hotel, upon learning that she was due to return in the US sometime later that week.

*** In Scotland***

Amy visited the library and sat where her mother used to sit. She quietly spoke to her mother, letting her know how much she loved being near her there and that it was time to go home. The exercise brought peace to Amy and so she returned back to her suite to find Sheldon had everything ready. Their flight was due to leave from Eidenburgh direct to LAX in two hours. They head back downstairs to thank Angus and to say their goodbyes.

"Grandfather, I cannot thank you enough for everything. I really hate leaving you" Amy said with tears in her eyes.

"My dear, while the circumstances were not the best, I am so glad and grateful that I had so many weeks with you and Sheldon. It has meant the world to an old man like myself. I want you to know that you are safe. The girls have been subdued and are no longer a threat. The prison has them under control and there are plans to further evaluate long-term to ensure they are not a threat to anyone in the future, including themselves. Now you and Sheldon run along. I know you have a tight schedule and a plane to catch. I will be in touch with you soon and plan to fly over in three months or so to visit" Angus said. He too had tears welling up but he just could not bring himself to show his granddaughter. He had to be strong for her. He was going to miss she and Sheldon. He had grown close to both while they were under his care and while he was glad they were no safe to return home, the loneliness of the situation was starting to hit him. He enjoyed having a full house.

"Yes, sir, we want you to come and stay as long as you want any time. I am sure you would like to hear the progress on our research as well. I made great strides here and will be typing up many of the results on the flight back. We also will be returning soon for the Prize awards and want you to join us" Sheldon said, a catch in his throat. He had grown close to Angus and had trusted him with his and Amy's lives for so long now that it was truly hard to leave the man. He had decided he loved her grandfather.

After the emotional goodbyes, the couple hopped into the awaiting car, their luggage had already been loaded and Lenny was in a cage next to them. They would be taking a private jet back to LAX and for once Sheldon did not mind having to accept someone else's generosity. After the nightmare that started their time of being in hiding, they were glad to be free and know that they were with "friendly" flight crew.

****In California****

"Penny I think you should move it a bit to the right" Bernadette said, looking at the banner Penny was hanging to welcome home Sheldon and Amy. "There, yes there. That is perfect."

Looking around the room, it was completely decorated. Making a quick assessment of everything, the girls decided their job had been complete.

"Okay, I think we have everything" Penny said. "Let's go get the Texas crowd."

Bernadette nodded in agreement. "I think the limo should be waiting for us downstairs. It should have arrived about a minute ago."

"Great, let's do it!" Penny squealed. She always loved the opportunity to ride in a limo.

The two girls ran down the stairs to find the limo waiting. Getting inside they head to the airport to pick up Mary, Missy, Meemaw, and George, Jr. The boys were still at work so the girls had done everything. They were responsible for decorating Sheldon and Amy's home, figuring out all the sleeping arrangements for the Texas crowd and picking them up at the airport. They knew that Angus had arranged for Sheldon and Amy to fly back on a private jet and ride back in a limo. He had also had the tenants that were living in the home to be out earlier that week so that Penny and Bernie had a chance to have the house cleaned and ready for Sheldon and Amy's return. Anticipation was now building.

"I can't believe it. They are finally going to be home" Penny squealed, while pouring she and Bernadette each a glass of champagne.

"I know. It seems like it has been forever. I am so glad they are finally going to get to be in their own home again."

While at the airport, Mary and her troupe had deplaned and were now down in baggage claim to collect their luggage. While there, they looked over and saw a man that looked exactly like the man they had seen in Texas. Missy immediately could not resist. Walking up to Faisal, she said "Well, hi there sugar. It has been a while since we saw you last in Texas. What brings you to California."

Faisal looked at her puzzled. "I am sorry? I don't think I have met you before." Then studying her more, he realized her beauty and said "In fact, I know if I had met such a lovely woman as you, I would not have forgotten her quickly."

"Oh sugar, don't play coy with me. You remember, Mama" she said pointing to Mary and the rest. "You went to church with us."

Then it finally dawned on Faisal. "Excuse me, would you by any chance have the name Cooper?"

"Why yes sugar, but you already knew that. I am Melissa Cooper, but everyone calls me Missy" she reminded.

"Of course, well I think you have me and my twin brother confused. I am Prince Faisal. I believe you met my brother Hazim. He has been muttering something about Mary and Missy Cooper. You see, he got himself in a bit of trouble, but I think also had some sort of transformation while on the run from the experience. I believe you must have some credit for the transformation."

"Well my goodness gracious…You two are a spittin' image of each other. I am pleased to meet you Prince Faisal" Missy said and after hesitating a bit, did a little curtsey. "So what brings you to Burbank?" Missy asked.

"I was helping my country's security board my brother. He is being flown back to our country today. He is facing some serious charges, but I am still concerned for his welfare. "

"So you are not returning with him?" Missy questioned.

"No, I have come to offer apologies to a beneficiary of mine. She is a doctor at UCLA and I learned she is to return soon to the country so I decided to extend my stay. She and her husband were brilliant and helped uncover the evil plot against myself, my country and our reputation. It was because of her that I have been freed after being held captive by my brother and some greedy men that were willing to be paid for disloyalty."

"Well aren't you just full of intrigue. Now I might be able to help you. I think you are talking about my brother and his wife and they are coming in today from overseas. We are on the way to their house right now to greet them upon their return" Missy said. She could not help but be captivated by the handsome face before her. He was far more handsome than Hazim, who she also found to be handsome. But Faisal had a light in him that Hazim seemed to have missing. Faisal had blue eyes as well, which she found intriguing. Hazim had black eyes and all the dark coloring that went with it. But Faisal had blue eyes and they were large and dramatic, with lashes that would make any woman envious.

"Are you speaking of Dr. Sheldon Cooper?" Faisal could not believe the good fortune.

"Yes, sugar. He is my twin brother. Would you like to join us to his home?" Missy offered.

"I really don't want to intrude on a family reunion, but perhaps we could meet up tomorrow and arrange for me to meet with them then?" Faisal counter-offered.

"A negotiator, I like it. It reminds me of my brother. He is always negotiating terms. Yes, tomorrow would be lovely, sugar. Now here is my phone number. Just give me a jingle and I will make sure it is all arranged" Missy said, after pulling out some paper and writing her number on the paper. She winked and said "Well Mama is givin' me a signal that it is time to leave. It was nice meetin' ya, Prince Faisal. I hope we get to know you better soon."

With that Missy rejoined her family. She turned and waved at the Prince and they all left to head outside, hoping to see the limo. As it was, Penny was waiting outside next to the limo and saw the Coopers. "Missy over here" she yelled while running up to hug her friend.

Once the luggage was locked away in the trunk the Coopers head to Sheldon and Amy's home. The occupants of the limo were abuzz with conversation and excitement. All, except George who remained reserved. He seemed a bit nervous. "Loosen up, sugar, you ,know Shelly is gonna be glad to see you" Missy slapped him on the leg.

George whispered back, "you know Shelly and I are always at odds. What makes you think he is going to like me bein' here. I don't even know why I came."

"Sugar, now shush. You know that underneath all that sibling rivalry, Shelly loves you. He is gonna be thrilled you came all this way to welcome him back home" Missy retorted.

George shrugged. He and Sheldon had been competitive their whole lives and he really always felt uncomfortable around his brother. He felt his new sister-in-law could see right through him as well. That made him even less comfortable. She had a way to delve into his brain and that scared him. He didn't even like knowing his own thoughts, much less did he want someone else to know them. Not all of this thoughts were very nice.

The limo pulled up and everyone piled out of the car, collecting their bags and head up toward the porch of the house. George whistled as he looked at the outside before heading up the steps. "Shelly seems to have done all right by himself" he said. "Think he would loan me some cash to start my business?"

"George, Jr, we did not come here to ask your brother to fund your new whim. You have started more businesses and watched them nose dive than I care to count" Mary scolded. "Now not a word. They have been through enough."

George coward, like many did when Mary put down the law. She had a way to demand respect like no other.

Bernadette helped escort Meemaw up the stairs as Penny opened the door with the key. They let the women get settled, while Bernie and Penny helped George bring in the luggage and directed him what pieces went where. Missy would be staying with Penny, George, Jr. would stay with Leonard in 4A and Meemaw and Mary would have the two guest rooms at the house.

Within 30 minutes the boys arrived, as well as the caterers. Penny had arranged catering for the return home party as there was going to be quite a crowd and she wanted to let everyone relax and enjoy instead of having to wait on anyone. The limo as already gone and the boys moved their cars to not be obvious when Sheldon and Amy arrived home. They wanted them to come home and find a total surprise.

It wasn't long before a limo started down a familiar street. Sheldon and Amy were tired from a long flight, even though they had more rest than they expected given it was a very posh private jet they flew back on. But travel is always exhausting. The street welcomed them with all the charm they remembered. Excitement about being home began to stir within the couple.

"Shhh…everyone get in your places. They are here" Bernie snapped everyone into place. Closing the curtains she ran to get in her spot.

Sheldon and Amy disembarked from the limo and waited while the driver unloaded their luggage. Thankfully, he carried it up to the porch for them, understanding they had had a long flight and were tired. Sheldon tipped the man and he got back in his car and exited.

"Wow, it seems like forever since we were here" Amy said as she looked at the door. "Sheldon I am so glad we are home."

"I know, I feel the same way." He leaned in and kissed her.

"What was that for?" Amy said, smiling.

"Just because…" he smirked as he unlocked the door and opened it. They wheeled in their luggage and left it in the foyer. They had no intention of dealing with it at the moment. Just as Sheldon was about to go open the curtains to bring in more light, they were startled by a loud "SURPRISE!"

Looking around, stunned, they saw all their friends there and Sheldon's family. Both were overwhelmed with emotion as hugs went all around. Even Sheldon didn't mind being touched this time. He was so glad to see everyone.

Everyone had a million questions flying at the couple and conversation was plentiful. But after three hours of welcoming them back, everyone gathered up their things to leave. Penny drove Missy back with her and George rode with Leonard. Mary and Meemaw knew the couple was tired so retreated to their rooms as well. The caterers had left an hour earlier, cleaning up everything before they left.

Sheldon and Amy finally trod up the stairs to their master suite, dragging their luggage behind. Leaving it in the sitting area, closing the doors and locking them, they wrapped up in each other's arms and made out. Both were too tired for making love, but they undressed, tossed on night clothes and brushed their teeth before climbing into bed and cuddling. Before long they were not only happy and safe at home, but fast asleep.

The End

Author's note: I hope you have enjoyed their journey, but as with all good things, this story had to come to a conclusion. I always knew that once their adventure was over, it was the end of the story for this particular time. I won't promise a sequel, but won't rule it out either. Just know that they do have a long and prosperous, loving and full life. Oh and Faisal did get a chance to see the couple before heading back to Saudi. He was so indebted to Sheldon he promised him loyalty and protection for their entire lives. Missy and Faisal kept in touch and became friends as well.


End file.
